Uproar as KNEC cancels KCSE results for top school three weeks after the release

2017 KCSE results for Friends School Chebuyusi has been recalled by the Kenya National Examination Council. (Photo: Duncan Ocholla/Standard) 

Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) has cancelled results for Chebuyusi High School, three weeks after releasing the results.

When Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i released the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) results December 2017, the school was ranked 16th nationally, second in western and top in Kakamega County.

The school got a mean score of 8.911 with all 190 candidates attaining the minimum university entry.

The first student got A- of 79 points while the last one got C+.

Confirming the cancellation of the results, the school principal Bonface Okoth accused KNEC for failing to provide clear reasons for their move.

“On January 17, 2018 I was called to go to KNEC office where I was handed over cancelled results with Ys for Chemistry and Biology subjects,” said Okoth.

He blamed the examination council for failing to conduct investigations saying no officer from the council visited the school.

He noted that despite confronting KNEC CEO Prof George Magoha on the matter, the only reasons he was given is that there was collusion among students during examination period.

“The results were released and we accessed them on the council’s portal. Students accessed their results through SMS platform. What changed that led to the cancellation of results? The council has condemned innocent students,” he said.

Parents at the school condemned the council and the Ministry of Education for incompetence.

They accused CS Matiang’i for rushing to release KCSE results before verifying them only to subject students to psychological torture.

“Why was the CS in hurry to release the results then cancel them? We will sue the council, Prof Magoha and Matiang’i for subjecting students to psychological torture,” said Donald Sifuna, a parent.

He said next week, they will move to court to seek justice for the 190 students who have been affected.

Mr Okoth revealed that an officer from KNEC called him saying the council has received many calls from principals and political leaders from the region asking for the cancellation of the results.

“I invite KNEC to visit the school and do proper investigations. They should not rely on letters from people to cancel results without proper reasons, this amounts to incompetence on the side of the council,” Okoth said.

He noted that already the council has uploaded the cancelled results on its portal.

“There was no fair hearing as no one from the school was interrogated. KNEC had its invigilators and supervisors during the examination none of them has written a report on the matter showing that the school was involved in examination irregularities,” he said.