Why more candidates may miss KCSE results

This year’s Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examination ended yesterday with more reported cases of cheating.

Speaking yesterday, Education Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed said 110 individuals, including candidates, had been arrested for attempting to steal the national tests.

“The suspects arrested will face the law. This should send a clear message to all who might be tempted to cheat in next year’s examination,” said Amina.

The Cabinet secretary said that this year’s tests were more credible, but admitted there was a rise in reported malpractices.

The principals of 10 exam centres were also dropped from the examination process after authorities established they had breached administration regulations of conducting the tests.

It also emerged that detectives are combing through data contained in 101 mobile phones confiscated from candidates, teachers and school staff.

Sources told The Standard that a number of candidates from the affected schools may have their results cancelled if investigators find leaked exam material in the phones.

Authorities said mobile phones taken from three candidates in North Eastern region had test questions. A student arrested in Nairobi also had a phone with exam material.

Amina said the four candidates had already been deregistered for impersonation. She, however, commended teachers, invigilators and students for ensuring that the exams remained credible.

The details emerged as Kenya National Examination Council (Knec) chair George Magoha said marking of examination scripts of the more than 660,000 candidates starts today.

Prof Magoha said the results would be out in three weeks.

“We will ensure swift and efficient services are rendered so that the candidates can see their achievements before Christmas,” said Magoha.

Last year, candidates in 10 schools did not get their results after Knec established that they had engaged in examination malpractices.

Another 40 teachers, including principals, were subjected to disciplinary action because of these malpractices.