By Benadeta Mwaura - Reporter
Kenya, August 19, 2026 - The Ministry of Education has dismissed as fake a notice circulating on social media claiming that the reopening of schools for the third term had been postponed to September.
The State Department for Basic Education on Wednesday, August 19, warned parents, guardians, learners and teachers against relying on the circulating notice, saying it did not originate from the Ministry.
“FAKE NEWS ALERT: The post circulating on social media claiming that school opening has been postponed is FAKE,” the State Department said.
The Ministry confirmed that Term Three will begin on Monday, August 24, 2026, as earlier communicated.
The clarification comes only days before learners are expected to return to school, with the false notice claiming that Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba had directed senior schools and secondary schools to delay reopening until September 15.
The State Department urged the public to disregard the claim and rely on official communication from the Ministry of Education for any changes to the school calendar.
According to the confirmed calendar, the third and final term will run for nine weeks, from August 24 to October 23, 2026. National assessments and examinations will follow shortly afterwards.
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The KPSEA and KJSEA are scheduled to begin on October 26, while the KCSE will run from November 2 to November 20.
The Ministry's intervention comes amid growing reliance on social media for information on school programmes and government announcements, where fabricated notices can quickly spread among parents and learners.
For families preparing for the new term, the latest position from the Ministry is therefore clear: there has been no postponement, and schools are expected to reopen on August 24.
The Ministry has urged the public to verify any changes to the academic calendar through its official channels rather than relying on unverified social media posts.