A school principal failed to turn up to collect examination materials in Murang’a as secondary school national exams began yesterday.
Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i and Murang’a County Commissioner John Elungata ordered the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to look for Solomon Mwangi, the head teacher of Kiru Secondary School.
Mr Mwangi was expected at Kiriani sub-county offices to collect the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination papers for his candidates, but had not turned up by 9am.
Dr Matiang’i, who was conducting an impromptu inspection of the start of the examinations in the county was in shock after learning that the teacher had not shown up to collect the examinations.
Mathioya education officers were forced to take the papers to the school. Teachers at the school claimed they were unable to trace Mwangi since Sunday.
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“It is now a police case, of which DCI officers must make a follow-up,” said Mr Elungata.
In Nyeri, two examination officials and a police officer were arrested over alleged examination irregularities.
TWO HOLES
Police are holding Gatuanyaga Secondary School examinations’ centre manager, a supervisor and an AP officer after a sealed chemistry package was found with two holes.
A report from the police indicated the package had two holes.
“One was a triangular hole measuring approximately 2.9 by 2.7cm and another rectangular, measuring 1.4 by 0.5cm,” read the report.
Central region police commander, Larry Kieng, said a Knec official, Zachary Onsase Nyabuto, discovered the damage on the Chemistry Paper One package during the 9.30am inspection of exam centres.
Following the discovery, the examination centre manager, a supervisor and an AP officer who was providing security were arrested and locked up at Naru Moru police station, awaiting arraignment before the Nanyuki Law Courts today.
“All the examination papers have been replaced and smooth running of the tests continued,” said Kieng.
And in Central and South Rift regions, Knec chairman George Magoha said the exams had started well with no malpractices reported.
“So far in the stations that I have visited, there have been no incident reported and the exercise is smooth,” he added.
At 5am, Prof Magoha was at Rongai’s deputy county commissioner’s office, where he oversaw the opening of the examinations’ container and proceeded to Moi High School Kabarak.
While leading staff from Knec and Ministry of Education in ensuring that nothing was left to chance, he said cartons carrying exam papers were intact and assured parents of the council’s resolve to protect the sanctity of the exams.
