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Principals among 19 arrested over KCSE cheating

One of them is the principal of Nyangajo Girls Secondary School in Homa Bay who was allegedly in an examination room which is a restricted zone for teachers/FILE

One of them is the principal of Nyangajo Girls Secondary School in Homa Bay who was allegedly in an examination room which is a restricted zone for teachers/FILE

NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 31 – Three secondary school principals are among 19 people arrested over cheating in various parts of the country after they were found to have aided students sitting KCSE examinations.

One of them is the principal of Nyangajo Girls Secondary School in Homa Bay who was allegedly in an examination room which is a restricted zone for teachers.

Kenya National Examination Council Chief Executive Officer Paul Wasanga says David Nyauma, the Principal of St Clement Secondary School in Nandi, was also arrested on Thursday with examination materials in his mobile.

“Many of the cases have been reported to us by the concerned stakeholders who include the public and candidates themselves through SMS, email, telephone and some have walked to our offices to give us information on cheating in examinations which is very commendable,” he said.

Another Principal from Marsabit County was also arrested when he was found aiding students sitting the national examinations.

In Kisii County, Wasanga says a principal and some teachers of a secondary school are reported to have been assisting candidates to cheat by working out the questions in the library and some in the staff quarters and taking the responses to candidates. No arrests have been made there however.

Wasanga told a press conference on Thursday morning that police have also arrested or questioned 16 other teachers and students found engaging in examination malpractices since the KCSE examinations started two weeks ago.

“Seventeen of the arrested persons who have been arraigned in courts have been accused of sending extracts of the ongoing examinations through the short message service through mobile phones,” he noted.

Wasanga also said the council was suspecting that some unscrupulous supervisors are opening the content and releasing it to unauthorised persons.

“The Criminal Investigations Department is investigating this and legal action will be taken against any person found to be infringing on examination security,” he stated.

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At least seven people are also being investigated for involvement in tampering with examination materials. Among the seven is a teacher from Mombasa, three university students, and four members of the public others from Kisauni and Nyanza.

The examination council has also received 26 mobile phones used by candidates within examination centres.

“The CID have also recovered four mobile phones with extracts of questions similar to the ones in the genuine examinations,” the council’s Chief Executive Officer said.

He added that, “KNEC has received some worrying news that some teachers are engaging in examination malpractices; coaching candidates early in the morning using illegally acquired examination materials.”

The KCSE examinations started on October22 with 449,246 candidates registered.

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