KCSE exams kicked off on Monday with over 600,000 candidates sitting for Maths and Chemistry papers. Security has been tightened to curb cheating but do you know what? the ‘mighty kings of exam cheating’ Kisii County saw nothing as far as security is concerned.
Fourteen people, among them KCSE exam officials, were on Monday arrested in Kisii county on charges of illegal possession of a Chemistry paper. Really? this was just on day one!
Police, in a report on the incident, said this followed a report that Monianku secondary school had hired five outsiders to facilitate the exam malpractice.
The five are Irene Kivunja, Jurith Nyabeki, Alex Ziko Akuma, Christopher Ogora, and Marori Edwin. They will be taken to court today (Tuesday).
Gucha South sub-county police boss Vincent Kitili said the five were arrested in a house some metres from the private school.
Examinations officials at the said school were arrested shortly after concluding the day’s paper. Police said they are helping with investigations.
The officials were among them Mutende John (Supervisor), and invigilators Omagwa Joel, Edna Morwabe, Gedion Nyagaka, Bernad Omoro, John Abuta, Ann Nyaboe, and Joel Nyakwanya.
Monianku deputy principal Peter Arori was also arrested. The owner of the house where the papers were being copied is still at large.
Kitili said they are also looking for the school bursar, one Peter Ochienku, who is believed to have sneaked out the paper.
Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) chairman George Magoha, however, maintained that the 2018 examinations will not be leaked.
He said, in a report on day one of KCSE, that the Maths and Chemistry papers were not seen before they were administered to the candidates.
Citing leaks that were detected and nipped in the bud, Magoha said Knec will strengthen its surveillance to ensure no paper is compromised.
He said the council has an alert system, formidable KNEC guidelines and security measures in place to curb such incidents.
Magoha added that two candidates from Murang’a and Nyamira counties died on the first day of the examination in unfortunate circumstances.
Kisii has been leading in exam cheating almost every year and they are proving it yet again at this early stage of the process. Will they again lead in this year’s exam malpractices?