Education ministry urges expedited prosecution of exam fraud for deterrence » Capital News
NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 11 – Cabinet Secretary for Education Julius Migos Ogamba has urged the Judiciary to expedite the prosecution of those found guilty of exam misconduct.
Ogamba has warned that delays may encourage repeat offenses.
Speaking on Monday while supervising the distribution of Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exam papers in Lang’ata Sub-County, Ogamba said that prolonged investigations and prosecutions often result in repeated cases of malpractice.
“We have asked the judiciary to help ensure that prosecution is swift. Investigations and prosecutions sometimes take so long that people forget what happened, and they continue repeating the same mistakes,” said Ogamba.
Ogamba added that the government would penalize individual offenders rather than canceling results for entire centers or schools.
He urged candidates, field officers, and staff overseeing the KCSE exams to adhere to regulations or face prosecution.
Ogamba emphasized the policy requiring the keeping of all phones at exam facilities in a locker under the supervision of a police officer assigned to the location.
“We have implemented strict measures. This year, if there is any malpractice, we will not condemn the entire school or center—it will be individualized. If you open an examination paper and take a photo, we will take action against you,” Ogamba said.
“If a student brings a phone into the exam room and shares the paper, we will identify the student, as each paper is serialized individually. That student will face consequences when results are released.”
The CS also revealed the police had arrested a group using Instagram to facilitate examination irregularities for arraignment in court.
The intended prosecution follows the arrest of eight teachers in Homa Bay County as they photocopyied pre-exponsed examination papers.
Personalized exam papers
The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) has included details of individual candidates on this year’s KCSE papers as part of enhanced measures to curb cheating. Each paper displays the candidate’s name, index number, and school.
KNEC CEO David Njengere stated that personalization will help address impersonation, a recurring issue in examination malpractices. It will also aid in tracking individuals involved in cheating rather than penalizing entire schools or centers.
This measure will prevent unregistered candidates from sitting for the exams, as KNEC will not have extra question papers.
The KCSE exams entered their fourth week on Monday, November 11, 2024, with a total of 965,501 candidates registered—marking a 6.89 percent increase compared to the 903,264 candidates in 2023.
KNEC exam guidelines state that unauthorized possession of an examination paper or related materials is punishable by up to ten years in prison or a fine of up to two million shillings.
Disclosing the contents of an examination paper without lawful authority may lead to a prison term of up to five years or a fine of up to one million shillings.
Assisting or causing a candidate to obtain unauthorized access to exam materials can result in up to ten years’ imprisonment, a fine of up to two million shillings, or both.
Fraudulently altering the results, work, or marks of a candidate, such as examiners colluding with candidates or institutional heads, is punishable by up to five years in prison, a fine of up to one million shillings, or both.
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