The Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) has reduced the central distribution centers of the ongoing examination as a way of curbing exam leakages.
In a Press Statement on the administration of 2015 KCSE examination, Knec Executive Secretary Joseph Kivilu said the greatest threat to the security of the examination papers was suspected to occur after the council hands over the examination material to sub-county education officials.
Kivilu said the existing 839 distribution centers have been merged to 439 central distribution centers that will now be manned by Knec officials with assistance from local education officials and police officers.
"In order to reduce the period for which examinations are stored at these distribution centers, one or two central distribution centers in each sub-county have been identified. Papers would be stored and transported in the morning of the examination to other distribution centers for collection by the supervisors," said Kivilu.
He said circulars have been sent to county directors of education informing them of the changes in the examination administration and the preparations they ought to make with regard to these changes.
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The council has also directed the directors and deputy directors to hire transport to be taking examination materials from the central distribution centers.
"We have also sent a letter to the Inspector general of police informing him of the changes and requesting him to communicate the same to the officers that have been assigned to assist in the administration of the exam," read the statement.
Kivilu said as an immediate measure, Knec has also changed the weekly dispatch of examination papers from its strong room so as to reduce the duration for which the examination would be stored at the central distribution centers.
The secretary revealed that the council has been able to detect and stop tampering of examination materials at a few distribution centers in Muranga, Migori, Kisumu and Bomet Counties.
"From the week of October 26, all papers to be administered that day were being collected from the central distribution centers," he said.
Kivilu maintained that the council has the mechanisms to identify irregularities in candidates’ answer scripts during the marking process.
He said after marking, Knec will determine the extent of irregularities and use internationally accepted threshold to determine if the validity and reliability of the examinations have been compromised.
