Examination officials were yesterday arrested in Gem, Siaya county for cheating. The 13 suspects were the centre manager, his deputy, a supervisor and 10 invigilators, arrested at Nyamininia Secondary school where they were found with Mathematics Paper 2 answers.
Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) officials said while monitoring the ongoing exams, they visited Nyamninia Secondary school at around 10am when the candidates were sitting their Mathematics Paper 2.
The officials said they noticed suspicious behaviour from the candidates, prompting a thorough search. They managed to come across some photocopied answers and responses for the exams the candidates were sitting.
They recovered four photocopies from Isaac Wasonga, a supervisor at the school, and another copy from the candidates. Some candidates tried to chew and swallow the papers in vain, according to the officials.
A multi-agency team consisting of the sub-county security team led by the Deputy County Commissioner and Directors of Education visited the school to confirm the incident and ordered the arrest of the 13 officials. One of the invigilators managed to escape the school and among the arrested officials is a teacher from a different school.
In another incident, detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) together with KNEC officials yesterday arrested a notorious exam fraudster in Masaba North, Nyamira County. Stephen Nyang’au Mbeche, who is the administrator of the “KCSE 2024 Leakage Group” on Telegram, was arrested following a long surveillance operation, according to the DCI.
Notorious fraudster
“A detailed search at his premises resulted in the seizure of a mobile phone and a laptop, the supposed tools of trade he uses to exploit parents and students involved in the cheating,” the detectives stated.
The suspect is expected to be arraigned in court as the authorities hunt down others involved in similar illegal activities. The Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba has affirmed the government’s commitment to tackling exam malpractices on an individual basis, rather than penalising entire exam centres.
Individual responsibility
Speaking yesterday, Ogamba stressed the importance of strict adherence to exam regulations by candidates, staff, and field officers overseeing the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams, warning that offenders will face prosecution.
“We have implemented stringent measures to ensure that this year, any malpractice will be addressed individually. We will no longer punish entire schools or exam centres,” Ogamba stated.
He emphasised that evidence of coordinated cheating, as seen in a recent case in Homa Bay, will lead to severe consequences for all involved.
Additionally, the Education CS highlighted the use of serialised exam papers, making it easier to track students who engage in malpractice.
CS Ogamba also reminded officials to follow the guideline requiring all mobile phones within exam centres to be stored securely in a locker under police supervision.
“Let us diligently follow these clear and simple rules to avoid getting caught up in malpractice,” he urged.
The CS further revealed that the government had recently apprehended individuals using Instagram to facilitate exam irregularities, and they would soon face charges in court.
As the KCSE exams entered their fourth week yesterday, students sat for Mathematics Paper 2 and Kiswahili Paper 2, with the government maintaining heightened vigilance to ensure the integrity of the exams.
