KCSE 2021:Results Of 441 Candidates Cancelled Over Examination Malpractice

NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr, 23 – 826,807 candidates that sat the 2021 Kenya Certificate of  Secondary Education (KCSE) examination Saturday received their results just weeks after completing the national exams and concluding their secondary school education.

According to Education Cabinet Secretary Prof George Magoha, despite maintaining that the examination did not leak during the exam period, in turn citing ‘early exposure’ in some cases, the results of 441 candidates have been canceled.

“The country would bear me witness that many mobile phones that would have been used to relay preexposed examination materials were confiscated before they could be used. However, there were 441 cases reported in the 2021 KCSE Examination and one case of a centre with all the results withheld,” said Magoha who further said,” I wish to categorically state that KNEC will not have any mercy on examination offenders who must be dealt with decisively. Consequently, examination results of all the 441 cases have been canceled,”

According to the ministry of education, during the exam period, 203 unauthorized materials were confiscated as well as 223 mobile phones. Eight cases of impersonation were reported, with six cases of collusion and one case of a candidate causing a disturbance in an examination room.

Ahead of the 2021 KCSE, the Government heightened measures meant to pre-empt any forms of cheating through the combined efforts of all the members of the Multi-Agency Team drawn from the ministry of education and the Ministry of Interior and coordination of national government.

“The result of this enhanced vigilance was that nearly all the cases of cheating that would have occurred were prevented,” said Magoha.

The was a significant increase in the number of examination malpractice compared to the 2020 KCSE exams where 287 cases were recorded.

A total of 826,807 candidates sat the examination in the 2021 KCSE Examination compared to 747,161 candidates in 2020.

This represented an increase of 79,646 candidates (10.66 per cent).

Of the 826,807 candidates who sat the 2021 KCSE Examination, 421,318 were male while 405,489 were female, representing 50.96 per cent and 49.04 per cent of the total candidature respectively.

Eighteen counties had more female than male candidates in the 2021 KCSE examination compared to 15 counties in 2020.

The 18 counties were: Taita Taveta, Nyandarua, Nyeri, Kirinyaga, Murang’a, Kiambu, Machakos, Kitui, Meru, Elgeyo Marakwet, 29 Busia, Kakamega, Vihiga, Tharaka Nithi, Nairobi, Uasin Gishu, Laikipia and Kisumu. 

All candidates are advised to collect their results from their respective examination centres.

“As per our recent practice, individual candidates’ results can also be accessed by sending a candidate’s index number followed by the initials “KCSE” through a Short Message Service (SMS) to 20076,” said the CS.

Headteachers will be required to download and print the online results slips for candidates in their schools and authenticate the same before they are released to parents, guardians, or candidates.