Shock as 23 candidates find out they sat fake KPSEA exam, two school directors arrested
Some of the 23 candidates who failed to sit the KPSEA test at Silver Bells Academy in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County.
Families of 23 candidates who sat their Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) papers at Silver Bells Academy, Eldoret, are in limbo after it emerged that they did a fake exam.
Learners at Silver Bells Academy, a private institution in the sprawling Kimumu Estate on the outskirts of Eldoret City, were issued with photocopies of last year’ KPSEA assessment papers after they failed to undertake the tests on Monday due to what the school management attributed to misplacement of the examination material.
Uasin Gishu County Director of Education John Thiringi (right), Duncan Okwach (left) and other officials at Silver Bells Academy in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County. 23 KPSEA candidates failed to sit the exam on October 30, 2024 after they were given photocopies of last year's assessment.
It has also emerged that the private school is not registered with the Kenya National Examination Council (Knec).
A team of officials from the Ministry of Education, Knec and DCI stormed Silver Bells and arrested two directors of the institution on Wednesday afternoon. During the raid, it emerged that the learners were not registered to sit for KPSEA to enable them progress to Grade 7 (junior school) in 2025.
A police officer (right) leads away one of two suspects arrested after 23 candidates at Silver Bells Academy did a fake exam.
Uasin Gishu County Director of Education John Thiring’i termed the incident as an act of fraud meant to destroy the future learners.
“What I can confirm is that the school is not registered while the learners were not listed to sit for KPSEA. They were instead made to undertake a fake exam,” said Mr Thiring’i.
“Apart from forging the examination papers, they used a handwritten marking scheme, rendering the entire process irregular.”
Photocopies of the 2023 KPSEA test which this year's candidates at Silver Bells Academy in were given to tackle on October 30, 2024.
He cautioned parents against enrolling their children to cheap learning institutions.
“We are consulting with Knec on the fate of the learners,” he said.
Moiben Sub-County Director for Education Norah Kiprono echoed the sentiment.
“Parents need to do a lot of verification to ensure that their children are formally registered to sit for such national examinations,” said Ms Kiprono.
Moiben Sub-County Commissioner Dancan Okwach disclosed that the school, which was started in 2016, was closed down in 2019, and wondered how the directors managed to have learners sit fake national test.
The KPSEA assessment is marked by Knec and accounts for 40 per cent of the final grade. The test marks the last examination at the end of the primary school cycle under the Competency-Based Curriculum.
Interviewed parents expressed fears that their children might be forced to repeat Grade Six.
“We fail to understand why the school management had to do all this to our children after parting with our money,” said Lesley Sambu, a parent.
They appealed to the Ministry of Education and Knec to give their children another chance to sit the national exam.
Not registered for exam
Elsewhere in Eldoret, a couple was shocked to find out that their son was blocked from sitting his KPSEA test under unclear circumstances.
Naomi Njore and her husband Sammy Thuo alleged that Uasin Gishu Primary School failed to register their child for the exam.
The boy, who wants to be a doctor when he grows up, was allegedly informed by the school's management that they will facilitate him to sit the test next year.
School Principal Edwin Kiptis Kipsang declined to comment on the matter. He referred journalists to County Director of Education John Thiringi. Mr Thiringi said he was following up on the matter with the Turbo Sub-County Education office.
Additional report by Titus Ominde
