‘Early Exposure’ Biggest Threat To KCSE Exam,Says Magoha

NAIROBI,Kenya, Mar, 21 – The Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) Examination enters week two amidst heightened concerns over the integrity of the examination process. And though Education Cabinet Secretary Professor George Magoha says that no single examination paper has leaked further reiterating, “I repeat, no examination paper has been leaked,none will,” the current threat facing the process remains to be the ‘early exposure’ of examinations.

This has proved troublesome amidst a multi-agency approach involving the ministry of education, Interior and even ICT to safeguard the exam process.

Last week, cracks appeared to face the administration of the KCSE exams with education officials revealing that some candidates are accessing exam questions before time.

This past Friday, 42 students from Dibuoro secondary school in Usonga ward, Alego, Siaya county were arrested for engaging in exam malpractices after being caught in possession of four mobile phones containing photographed images of the Chemistry practical paper as well as this past Thursday’s swahili paper.

The students are said to have been part of a WhatsApp group used to convey the exam papers.

“The matter is being handled by county DCI officers, we are tracing the originators of the content,” said Siaya county police commander Michael Muchiri.

Already, the school principal, an exam supervisor, five invigilators, a chemistry teacher and two lab assistants are under probe for their alleged involvement in the exam malpractice.

Magoha however in statement on Sunday said that education officials have not let their guard down but instead, a few scrupulous people have devised a new dirty trick of opening examination packages a few minutes before the start time.

“Their tendency is to use mobile phones to take photographs of a few or all the examination questions before sneaking them out of the examination centres to waiting hired people who thereafter tackle the questions before smuggling the “answers” back to the candidates,” said Magoha.

Magoha has meanwhile issued a series of guidelines to center managers including, keeping school gates wide open to facilitate ease of monitoring of all processes,restriction of access of unauthorized personnel including teachers as well allowing teachers handling practical subjects in exam centers during the days the subject are taken.

“Security officers must sit at positions where they have a full view of the examination materials for the second daily paper as the morning paper is underway. Supervisors and invigilators must not take any time off from the examination rooms for any other activity while examinations are in progress,” he said Magoha further saying that, “Mobile phones must not be allowed at the examination centre except one for the centre manager, and one for the security officer, both of which should be kept at the centre manager’s office in case of any emergency.”

So far, several cases of impersonation have been reported with private exam centers now under increased scrutiny by education ministry officials.

According to the Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) a total of 831,015 candidates will be sitting for the KCSE 2021 Exams.

The examinations are being administered in 10, 413 examination centres.