Tis the season of fake news. This weekend, social media has been abuzz about a high school certificate that has President Uhuru Kenyatta's name. Sorry to disappoint you. That is fake news!
The forged certificate shows the grades that Uhuru M. Kenyatta of index number 16032/063 scored in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Examination (KCSE) of November/December 1976 while at St. Mary’s Secondary School.
Out of 10 subjects taken, Uhuru apparently managed a mean grade of D- (minus) scoring D (plain) in Kiswahili, English, History and Government, Chemistry 133 and 212. He scored grade E in Mathematics, Biology, Physics and Commerce.
This is why this certificate is fake.
1. The certificate says St Mary's Secondary school
Fact: The institution is officially known as St. Mary's School. It was started in 1939 by the Irish Holy Ghost Fathers in Parklands.
2. There was no KCSE in 1976
Fact: The first KCSE exam was held in 1989. It replaced the Kenya Advanced Certificate of Education (KACE) as the entrance requirement for Kenyan universities.
3. There was no KNEC in 1976
Fact: KNEC which is responsible for overseeing national examinations in Kenya was established under the Kenya National Examinations Council Act Cap 225A of the Laws of Kenya, in 1980.
4. Chemistry is listed twice
Fact: KSCE has five groups of examination subjects. Under Group Two which incorporates sciences, the categories are Biology, Physics, Chemistry and Biological Science (taken by blind candidates) of which students are allowed to select a minimum of two sciences.
It is therefore not possible that President Uhuru Kenyatta sat for two different chemistry papers (133 and 212) and got grades for both.
5. Wrong exam dates
Fact: KCSE is usually held between late October and November. The national examination marking begins in December. Results are usually released between late January and early February.
