Two KCSE candidates among suspects arrested for cheating

The three were arrested in Busia. 

Police in Busia have arrested two KCSE candidates and a university student over suspected cheating in the ongoing Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE).

The male students aged between 17 and 20, are from Brother Nicholas, a private secondary school within Busia while the third suspect, Oscar Karoli is a Fourth Year Security Management and Policing student at Kenya University.

They were found in possession of smartphones that reportedly contained questions and answers to English Paper 3 and Chemistry Paper 2, according to Busia Sub-County DCI Bernard Wamalwa.

According to the police, a head boy at the school spotted the two students using their smartphones and alerted the school management on Tuesday. The phones were recovered from the students.

Police launched an investigation into the matter and managed to arrest Karoli, who allegedly furnished the two students with the examination material.  The arrests were made on Wednesday evening according to Mr Wamalwa.

Karoli’s phone was confiscated and found to contain material similar to what the students had been revising earlier.

Further investigations revealed Karoli received the purportedly leaked examination papers from a headteacher of a local private school in Busia.

The fourth suspect is still at large with the three expected to be arraigned in court to answer charges of examination malpractice.

Education CS, Prof George Magoha, had earlier ranked Busia as one of the hot spots targeted by cartels when he toured the area last week.

During his tour, Magoha was categorical that a number of centre managers and their collaborators in Homabay, Migori, Isebania, and Kisii were being monitored closely for conspiring to facilitate cheating.

At least 30 schools across the country are being investigated over accusations of plans of cheating.