Updated 5 November 2026.
Direct answer: The Ministry of Education's 2027 school calendar, reported on 3 November 2026, has schools reopening on Monday 4 January 2027. Primary and junior terms run 14, 13 and 10 weeks, secondary terms 13, 13 and 10. Primary and junior national assessments are 1 to 5 November 2027, and KCSE is 8 to 26 November.
What was released
Three Kenyan education outlets reported the 2027 calendar on 3 November 2026: Teachers Arena, Education News and Education News Hub. All three describe a Ministry circular signed by Basic Education Principal Secretary John Ololtuaa and sent to regional, county and sub-county education directors to share with schools. Teachers Arena and Education News Hub date it 19 October 2026 (Education News gives no date), and Education News Hub gives its reference as MOE.HQS/3/13/3/VOL III. We have not seen the circular, so everything below is as those outlets reported it.
This replaces the "exact dates not yet out" position in our earlier guide, Kenya School Calendar 2027: 12-Week Terms. That guide was written in September, before the circular was reported.
2027 term dates at a glance
| Period | Pre-primary, primary and junior | Senior and secondary |
|---|---|---|
| Term 1 | 4 Jan to 9 Apr (14 weeks) | 4 Jan to 2 Apr (13 weeks) |
| Half-term | 19 to 28 Feb | 19 to 28 Feb |
| April holiday | 10 Apr to 2 May | 3 Apr to 2 May |
| Term 2 | 3 May to 30 Jul (13 weeks) | 3 May to 30 Jul (13 weeks) |
| Half-term | 9 to 20 Jun | 9 to 20 Jun |
| August holiday | 31 Jul to 29 Aug | 31 Jul to 29 Aug |
| Term 3 | 30 Aug to 5 Nov (10 weeks) | 30 Aug to 5 Nov (10 weeks) |
| National exams | KPSEA, KILEA, KJSEA, KPLEA: 1 to 5 Nov | KCSE: 8 to 26 Nov |
| December holiday | 8 Nov 2027 to 3 Jan 2028 | 6 Nov 2027 to 3 Jan 2028 |
Diploma teacher training colleges follow a separate calendar. Reports say it opens on 5 January 2027 and its last block ends on 12 November 2027.
Term lengths: 2026 compared with 2027
On 10 June 2026 the Education Cabinet Secretary said terms would be rationalised to "12 weeks across the board", reported by Nairobi Leo. The 2027 lengths in the reported circular are not 12 weeks each. The chart compares them with 2026, using the week counts printed in the reports.
By our arithmetic, 2027 has 37 weeks for primary and junior schools and 36 for senior and secondary, against 36 in 2026. The week counts match the span from opening day to closing day, so half-terms sit inside them. The number of full teaching weeks is therefore smaller, and the reports do not say how teaching weeks are counted. Nairobi Leo's June report described 2026 Term 1 as 12 weeks; the 2026 bars follow the circular figures (13, 14 and 9) printed by the other two outlets.
What it means for families
Parents
Term 1 opens on a Monday, 4 January. Treat it as the date for fees, uniform and travel plans, and ask your school for its own term dates, which should follow the calendar. Our guide to 2027 public school fees explains what the Ministry has said about charges. The reports do not give a joining date for learners moving into senior school in 2027, so wait for the school's joining instructions.
If your child is moving from Grade 6 to Grade 7 in January, our junior school checklist lists what to prepare before the 4 January reopening.
Candidates
Primary and junior assessments fall in the last week of Term 3, 1 to 5 November 2027. KCSE follows on 8 November and runs to 26 November. The reports list the secondary December holiday as starting on 6 November, two days before KCSE begins. That date is the Saturday after Term 3 closes on Friday 5 November, but the reports do not explain how it fits with KCSE on 8 November, so ask the school how candidates are handled. Our piece on the final 2027 KCSE covers the exam itself.
Teachers
A 14-week Term 1 followed by a 10-week Term 3 changes how schemes of work are spread across the year. Our Term 1 2027 planning guide is a good starting point, and you can compare with this year's Term 3 calendar.
School sports, music and drama dates for 2027 are in our 2027 co-curricular calendar report.
Frequently asked questions
When do schools reopen in January 2027?
Monday 4 January 2027 for primary, junior, senior and secondary schools, according to three reports of the Ministry of Education circular. Diploma teacher training colleges are reported to open on 5 January.
When is half-term in 2027?
The reports list 19 to 28 February in Term 1 and 9 to 20 June in Term 2. Education News listed only the February half-term, so the June dates rest on two of the three reports.
When are the 2027 national exams?
KPSEA, KILEA, KJSEA and KPLEA are listed for 1 to 5 November 2027, and KCSE for 8 to 26 November 2027.
Are 2027 terms 12 weeks each?
No. The reported lengths are 14, 13 and 10 weeks for primary and junior schools, and 13, 13 and 10 weeks for senior and secondary schools.
Does the calendar cover private or Cambridge IGCSE schools?
The reports do not say. Ask your school which dates it follows, and check any Cambridge exam timetable separately.
Sources
- Education Ministry Releases 2027 School Calendar For Schools And Colleges (Teachers Arena, 3 Nov 2026)
- MoE releases 2027 school calendar, sets January 4 reopening date (Education News, 3 Nov 2026)
- 2027 School Calendar Kenya (Education News Hub, updated 3 Nov 2026)
- Education Ministry Releases 2026 School Calendar (Kenyans.co.ke, 13 Oct 2025)
- Ministry of Education 2026 school term dates, revised and final (Education News Hub, updated 21 Feb 2026)
- Education CS confirms changes to school calendar amid heightened unrest (Nairobi Leo, 10 Jun 2026)
- Ministry of Education website for official circulars
CBC Edu Kenya reports published statements and has not seen the circular itself. The outlets above agree on the dates in the table. Where they differ or are silent, we say so. Confirm your school's dates with your school.
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The Grade 9 KJSEA course covers all 9 learning areas for KSH 400. The Grade 6 KPSEA course covers all 5 subjects for KSH 300. Notes, worked examples, topical questions and full marking schemes in both.
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