Officers involved in examination malpractices will be arrested, jailed and blacklisted, Education Cabinet Secretary, Migos Ogamba has warned.

The CS has cautioned teachers and parents against abetting examination cheating, noting, they risk arrest and prosecution.

He implored parents to report teachers who demand money in exchange for ‘exams leakage’. Ogambo noted the government has put measures in place to ensure the impending Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) examination and the ongoing Kenya Certificate of Secondary School (KCSE) examination are devoid of cheating.

“We have requested for special courts to finalise cases of officers involved in examination irregularities within three months” Migos revealed, insisting that the government is determined to deliver credible examinations result.

Ogamba, who was accompanied by Kisii County Director of Education Philp Chirchir and Kisii Central Deputy County Commissioner, Ngunyi Maina, told candidates to report teachers who will attempt to give them leakages.

Grade 9 classrooms

“The examination papers have special features for each candidate. It will be easy to detect those cheating,” he noted.

The minister was speaking in Kisii and Nyamira counties after he opened classrooms for next year’s Grade 9 at Nyamira, Mekenene, Matieko DOK, Nyaisa, Nyansakia and Ibeno Mission primary schools.

The CS, who also visited Kereri Girls said the government is set to construct 16,000 classrooms to accommodate Grade 9 students, saying, 3,500 have been completed in Phase One, 7,500 will be constructed in Phase Two, with another 5,000 to be built in Phase Three jointly with National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG- CDF) to ensure a smooth transition.

The CS said the classrooms will be completed by December stressing that the government has already dispatched books to schools.

The CS revealed plans to employ 20,000 teachers next year, with majority being science ones to ease their shortage in schools.

The CS noted the government will embrace virtual learning where there are no enough teachers.