Residents arrest officer who abandoned KCSE duties for chang'aa dealers

There was drama in Nandi North sub-county on Tuesday when civilians arrested an Administration Police officer who abandoned his guarding duties at a KCSE examination centre to chase chang'aa dealers in a nearby village.

The officer was supposed to provide security at Koiban Secondary School but he left and headed to the nearby Kimngoror village to raid chang'aa dens.

Police officers have always been accused of collecting bribes from illicit brew dealers.

Irate villagers and parents got wind of the officer’s actions and immediately ganged up to confront him.

When they caught up with him, they arrested him and locked him up in a house before summoning the local chief.

The chief alerted senior officers at the Chepterwai Police Station, who picked him up.

Nandi County Commissioner Herman Shambi said the officer was in police custody.

"The officers disarmed their colleague before taking him away. They also immediately assigned a replacement at the school," he told the Nation.

Mr Shambi lauded the villagers for acting swiftly to inform the senior officers about the incident.

He said it was wrong for the policeman to abandon his KCSE guarding assignment to go chase changaa suspects.

It was not clear what action would be taken against the officer.

The government forbids security officials and exam supervisors to schools when exams are underway.

Meanwhile, in West Pokot County, police on Tuesday arrested a Form Three student and his father, a school principal, in an impersonation case.

West Pokot County Commissioner Apollo Okello said the arrest followed reports from police officers at Werpo Ortum Mixed Secondary School.

He said the suspected impersonator, Nickson Amani, is a Form Three student at St Anthony Kitale Boys and was sitting the exam on behalf of his brother Murunda Prince Makawa, a candidate at Werpo Ortum Mixed.

In an interesting twist, it has emerged that the centre manager is the brothers’ father, who was also arrested alongside supervisor Silvester Onyango and two invigilators, John Tokes and Christine Werunga.

"The two are said to be the sons of the current principal, Werpo Ortum Mixed Secondary School, Mr (Vincent) Murunda,” Mr Okello said.

Mr Okello explained that police acted upon being notified about the suspected malpractice at around 12.30pm.

The suspects were taken to the Chepareria Police Station for further questioning, he said.

County Criminal Investigations Officer Kimmy Kisobo said it was alleged that the bona fide candidate was critically ill at the family’s Kitale home.

Mr Apollo cautioned headteachers in the region against aiding exam irregularities.

“We don’t want to hear anything about exam cancelling. This kills the morale of learners and negatively affects their future lives,” he said.

This comes after Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha issued a stern warning to cartels involved in distributing what he said were fake examination papers to candidates.

Prof Magoha said the government would not be lenient with any individual caught trying to compromise the integrity of the national examination.

While children lured into cheating may be spared, he said, cartels, teachers and parents will face the law.