This page lists school term and holiday dates exactly as set by the Ministry of Education in its official circulars. We add a new year only once the Ministry’s circular is published. Dates apply to public and private basic education institutions: pre-primary, primary, junior school, senior school and secondary schools.
2026 school calendar
The 2026 calendar comes from a Ministry of Education circular dated 9 October 2025 and signed by the Principal Secretary for Basic Education, as reported by Education News, The Star and Kenyans.co.ke. It was copied to the Teachers Service Commission, KNEC and the Council of Governors.
| Period | Dates (2026) | Length |
|---|---|---|
| Term 1 | Mon 5 January – Thu 2 April | 13 weeks |
| Term 1 half term | 25 February – 1 March | 5 days |
| April holiday | 7 April – 24 April | 3 weeks |
| Term 2 | Mon 27 April – Fri 31 July | 14 weeks |
| Term 2 half term | 24 June – 28 June | 5 days |
| August holiday | 3 August – 21 August | 3 weeks |
| Term 3 | Mon 24 August – Fri 23 October | 9 weeks |
| National assessments | From 26 October | See below |
| December holiday | From late October to the start of 2027 | About 10 weeks |
Note on the Term 3 closing date: most reports of the circular give 23 October 2026; one report gives 29 October. Schools that are assessment centres stay open for candidates during the assessment period. Follow your school’s communication on the exact last day for non-candidates.
2026 national assessments
According to reports of the same circular, national assessments start immediately after Term 3:
- KPSEA (Grade 6): 26–29 October 2026.
- KILEA (intermediate level, learners with special needs): 26–30 October 2026.
- KJSEA (Grade 9) and KPLEA (pre-vocational level): from 26 October into early November 2026.
- KCSE: November 2026, for the remaining 8-4-4 candidates.
KNEC publishes the detailed timetables. See our KJSEA timetable 2026 and revise with the CBC Challenge.
Other rules in the circular
The Ministry directed that the circular be shared with all institutions and repeated its ban on activities and visits to secondary schools during the third term. Prize-giving days, sports and academic visits that involve outsiders are usually scheduled in Terms 1 and 2 for this reason.
Teacher training colleges
The circular also covers Diploma Teacher Training Colleges (DTTCs), which follow a slightly different calendar, with Term 1 reported to open on 6 January 2026.
2027 dates
The Ministry usually issues the next year’s calendar in the last quarter of the year. We will add the 2027 dates here once the official circular is published. Until then, treat any “2027 term dates” you see online as unconfirmed. You can sign up for parent alerts to hear when we update this page.
Planning with the calendar
- Most school fee structures split fees across the three terms; Term 1 is usually the largest instalment. Track yours with the fee calendar.
- Holiday homework and revision packs are on our holiday homework page.
- Half-term dates are national, but some schools apply for small changes; always check your school’s letter.
Sources
- Ministry of Education circular on the 2026 school calendar (9 October 2025), as reported by Education News (“MoE releases 2026 academic calendar”), The Star (6 January 2026) and Kenyans.co.ke
- Ministry of Education circulars page, education.go.ke/circulars
CBC Guides is an independent site, not the Ministry of Education.