Eight arrested as KCPE exams enter Day Two
Eight people were yesterday arrested over exam malpractices countrywide as the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) entered its second day.
The director of Pioneer Potters Academy in Nairobi’s Umoja was arrested after a boy was found sitting the exam for another candidate.
Both the director and the boy who had passed himself off as the candidate were detained at Buru Buru Police Station waiting to be arraigned today.
In another development, four examination personnel at Hezta Group of Schools in Nyandarua County were arrested after they were found leaking some KCPE examination papers.
The county security team, led by the Commissioner, Boaz Cherutich and Police Commander, Gideon Ngumi visited the school after security officers stationed at the private school reported suspicious movements by the suspects.
Toilet paper
The exam centre manager, supervisor and two invigilators were arrested and some answers written on toilet paper recovered from teachers hiding in a house in the school compound.
“Upon conducting a probe police were able to ambush four teachers discussing the Science examination paper,” Cherutich told the press.
It was said the invigilators took pictures of the examination paper and sent them electronically to the teachers in the school who would then return discussed answers back to the officers to pass to the pupils.
Meanwhile, a candidate in Chesumei Subcounty gave birth while sitting for her exams on Tuesday.
The candidate, who is now stable, was moved to Kapsabet county referral hospital for close monitoring as she continued with the exam.
In Nandi County the exams went on without a hitch.
County director of education Willie Machocho said examination papers were delivered on time on Tuesday despite the unfavorable weather due to heavy rains pounding the county.
And in Kirinyaga, the director and head teacher of Framar Academy, Francis Muriithi Mugondo and a member of staff Rose Njeri Rure were arraigned for trying to stop a Standard Eight candidate from sitting his exams.
Kirinyaga Central sub-county commissioner Daniel Ndege and area director of education Grace Wanjiru said the two tried to prevent the candidate from entering the exam room.
Ndege rushed to the school and apprehended the pair after being informed by the candidate’s parents.
Pupil electrocuted
In Nyamira, Peter Mokua Nyangoya of Getwebe Primary School in North Mugirango constituency died after being electrocuted.
Richard Minyira, the centre manager said the deceased climbed a ladder to access a tank so as to get water for washing the utensils he had used when he made the tragedy.
The pupil touched a loosely hanging naked electric wire that led to his electrocution.
He was rushed to Esanige Medical Centre at Magwagwa market where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
Minyira said the deceased pupil was one of the best performing and the school had a lot of hope in him.
He had sat for two subjects in the morning and was to write Insha when the incident occurred.
Meanwhile, Education Cabinet Secretary Prof George Magoha defended the heavy presence of security personnel manning examination centers across the country and warned politicians against politicising it.
Speaking at Mwanyambo Primary School in Voi, Taita Taveta County where he monitored day two of the exam, the CS dispelled fears that the presence of armed police officers in exam centres was likely to instill fear candidates.
Areas experiencing heavy security presence are those prone to insecurity threats Like Lamu, Tana River, Garissa and Northern parts of Kenya.
“The exam centres must be secured for us as a ministry to achieve credible results. We are warning those peddling lies about a militarised examination to stop blowing things out of proportion. Actually, this examination is going on well and we have recorded very few cases of irregularities,” Magoha said.
Small hitches
The CS said so far, the national examinations were progressing well and only small hitches have been experienced in flood prone areas.
He reiterated that the government was keen to deliver credible exam results this year.
Magoha said the ministry was contemplating reducing the number of security personnel manning exam centres in next year exams since the system has now been sanitised.
“I want to emphasise that this is most likely to be the last year we are using this heavy security because over the years we have now sanitised the system. This is the fourth class that we are sanitising and there maybe need for less security next year because the children we have from form one to form three were properly selected. We are now going backward to where we used to be,” the CS added.
The CS said there were few cases of indiscipline recorded during exam, among them drunkenness among centre supervisors. He warned that stern action would be taken against exam supervisors found violating exam regulations.
He added that the ministry had secured more helicopters to airlift examination papers to areas hit by floods in Tana River, Mandera, Wajir, Garisa, Turkana and Kajiado counties.
In another development, the government yesterday assured candidates that enough contingency measures had been put in place to ensure 100 per cent transition to secondary schools.
Deputy President William Ruto said all the candidates sitting for the exam would be absorbed. He was speaking at Ngong Forest Primary School, Nairobi, when he toured the institution to supervise the exercise as it entered its second-day,
He said measures had been put in place to ensure candidates sitting the exam across the country continued uninterrupted.
He said helicopters were being used in areas where roads had been cut off by floods.
“The exam centres must be secured for us as a ministry to achieve credible results. We are warning those peddling lies about a militarised examination to stop blowing things out of proportion. Actually, this examination is going on well and we have recorded very few cases of irregularities,” Magoha said.
The CS said so far, the national examinations are progressing on well and only small hitches have been experienced in flood prone areas.
He reiterated that the government was keen to deliver credible exam results this year.
Magoha said the ministry is contemplate reducing the number of security personnel manning exam centers in next year exams since the system has now been sanitized.
“I want to emphasize that, this is most likely to be the last year we are using this heavy security because over the years we have now sanitized the system. This is the fourth class that we are sanitising and there maybe need for less security next year because the children we have from form one to form three were properly selected. We are now going backward to where we used to be,” the CS added.
