At least 70 cases of malpractices have been reported so far since the start of KCSE exams, but Education CS George Magoha has dismissed them as only attempts to cheat.
While acknowledging that there have been attempts to steal the exams, Prof Magoha affirmed yesterday that the papers have noted leaked.
He said those sharing photos of the papers are taking advantage of the time between when they are collected from the containers and when they are scheduled to start.
The containers will now be opened at 6.30am, and not 6am as it has been, said the CS.
Prof Maghoha observed that most of the malpractices that have been reported so far have happened after the papers have started.
“To say that the exam has leaked means that the papers were exposed before they left the container and we know that is not true and shall not be true. We came out of that five years ago. What has happened is called early exposure,” he said in Nairobi.
“Please stop confusing the children, the exam has not leaked and it shall not leak,” he added.
Prof Magoha added, “We are Kenyans and I know some people must have collected money before to provide examinations and the only chance they have is between the container opening and the papers starting. You can see what the government is doing to ensure that does not happen,” he said.
Unscrupulous individuals have been distributing photos of KCSE exams on online platforms, dealing a blow to the government’s efforts to contain cheating.
In one Telegram group that has 5,800 members, exam photos are shared for free as students sit them.
The Nation contacted the administrator of the group posing as buyers and he promised to give us the following week’s papers early if we pay up.
At 11.39am on Thursday, the Kiswahili paper that had begun at 10.45am was uploaded to the group. It was to end at 1.15pm. A teacher confirmed to the Nation that the uploaded paper was the actual one administered.
And yesterday morning, photos of the chemistry practical test were uploaded at 9.25am. The exam had began at 8am and was to end at 10.15am but given the infrastructural challenges in some schools, it was expected that candidates would take the exam in shifts, giving a probable advantage to those who were to sit it later in the day.
Copies of the Chemistry Paper 2 exam administered on Wednesday from 11.30am were also posted in the group a few minutes to the starting time.
A teacher confided in us that a candidate reached to him a few days ago asking for answers to a test that was due in two hours, further confirming the fact that early access to KCSE papers, aided by technology, is posing the biggest challenge to the government.
The Nation reported the group to Telegram and to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI). But by the time of filing this report, we had not received a response from either of them.
The seller we contacted said it is his policy to post papers for free while the examination is ongoing.
He asked for Sh3,000 to be sent via Mpesa to a given number for us to have early access to the following week’s papers.
In Kirinyaga County, Curriculum PS Fatuma Chege yesterday warned parents and teachers against assisting candidates to cheat.
“We have come from far. In the past the situation was serious but now we have few cases. Our security officers and examination supervisors are very keen,” she said.
In Uasin Gishu, a college student arrested on Tuesday over examination malpractice was arraigned and detained for 10 days pending investigations.
Mr Eliud Kipchumba was arrested by detectives from Eldoret. Investigating officer James Barasa appealed to principal magistrate Naomi Wairimu to detain the suspect as investigations go on. He said more suspects involved in the crime are yet to be arrested.
The court allowed police to detain the suspect at Langas station for 10 days. The case will be mentioned on March 25.
By yesterday, over 70 cases of exam cheating had been reported.
Elvis Ondieki, David Muchunguh, Faith Nyamai, George Munene and Titus Ominde
