Government and Policy

Education Ministry Releases 2027 School Calendar With Term Dates And Holidays

BY Getrude Mathayo · November 4, 2026 12:11 pm

Learners will return to class on January 4, 2027, according to the new academic calendar released by the Ministry of Education. It covers pre-primary, primary, junior, senior and secondary schools, plus diploma teacher training colleges.

The calendar spells out reporting dates, holidays and the dates for national exams. It was sent out in a circular dated October 19, 2026, by the State Department for Basic Education.

Principal Secretary John L. Ololtuaa signed it and addressed it to regional, county and sub-county education directors, who are to pass it on to every basic education institution.

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The Education Cabinet Secretary, the TSC and KNEC chief executives, and the Council of Governors were copied in.

Term One runs 14 weeks, from January 4 to April 9, with a nine-day half-term from February 19 to 28. Learners then get a three-week break, from April 10 to May 2.

Term Two starts on May 3 and ends on July 30, a total of 13 weeks. Half-term this time is 11 days, from June 9 to 20. The August holiday lasts four weeks, from July 31 to August 29.

Term Three is the shortest, at 10 weeks, running from August 30 to November 5. It is also when the national assessments take place. The circular lists KPSEA, KILEA, KJSEA and KPLEA, all run by KNEC, which will be sat over five days from November 1 to 5, the last week of the term.

Schools then close for an eight-week December break, from November 8 to January 3, 2028.

Senior and secondary school their structure is much the same, with small differences in term length and breaks tied to the demands of the final exam.

Term One lasts 13 weeks, from January 4 to April 2, with a 10-day half-term from February 19 to 28. The April break runs from April 3 to May 2. That is four weeks, one more than primary and junior pupils get.

Term Two also runs 13 weeks, from May 3 to July 30. Half-term is a little longer than in the lower levels, at 12 days from June 9 to 20. The August holiday is identical to theirs: four weeks, from July 31 to August 29.

Term Three covers 10 weeks, from August 30 to November 5. The KCSE examination comes right after, from November 8 to 26, which the circular puts at three weeks. The December holiday is given as November 6 to January 3, 2028, or eight weeks.

Colleges work on a separate calendar. They open on January 5, 2027, a day after schools, and use different term labels.

The first block of the year is called Term Two and runs 13 weeks, from January 5 to April 2. Trainees then get three weeks off, from April 5 to 23.

Term Three follows from April 26 to July 30, a stretch of 14 weeks, before a three-week August break from August 2 to 20.

The year closes with Term One, which starts on August 23 and ends on November 12, or 11 weeks. The December holiday lasts eight weeks, from November 15 to January 8, 2028.