A total of 1, 275 candidates and nine centres whose Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) results for the year 2018 were withheld for suspected cheating will receive their results after they were cleared of any malpractice.
Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) chairman George Magoha said that thorough, fair and objective investigation into the cheating allegations were conducted through application of best international practices to ensure findings of the exercise are credible and verifiable.
“Overwhelming evidence indicate that 3, 427 candidates in 44 centers were guilty of having been involved in examination irregularities in the 2018 KCSE examinations.
The Council argues that the malpractices took place due to negligence, commission or omission of contracted professionals who did not perform their roles as per the guidelines for management of the 2018 KCSE examination,” said Magoha.
Magoha said ahead of 2018, the Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC), along with council members mounted a spirited pre-monitoring exercise to sensitize all school in the country against exam cheating in national examination.
Despite these efforts, KNEC received a number of reports of alleged examination malpractices were handled and preventive actions were put in place. KNEC withheld results of 53 examination centers and 4,702 candidates from the affected centers.
“The affected schools are located in 16 of the 47 counties are in Machakos, Meru, Isiolo, Turkana,West Pokot, Kericho, Narok, Elgeyo Marakwet, Kisumu, Kisii, Homa Bay, Migori, Garissa, Wajir and Mandera,” he added.
According to Magoha, during the investigation process glaring collusion was discovered among the affected candidates answer scripts including identical errors in calculation, correct responses after incorrect workings, identical wording, among others.
Candidates whose results were canceled have been offered an opportunity to register for the 2019 KCSE examination before registration deadline of February 15, 2019 instead of having to wait for three years as provided for in law.
The KNEC issued a stern warning to all examination candidates, schools and general public that any form of examination malpractices will not be condoned and that it will do everything in its powers to protect the sanctity of national examinations at all times.
By Valencia Nasimiyu and Joseph Ng’ang’a
