Two KCSE candidates arrested with mobile phones

Two students in Nairobi have been arrested after they were caught with mobile phones shortly before sitting for this year’s Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams.

Confirming the incident Education CS George Magoha said that they were going to be lenient with them and allow them sit the exams.

“This morning in Nairobi we already had two students we found with cell phones, but we are going to be soft with them and allow them to take the exams,” said Magoha.

Magoha, who spoke in Nyali, Mombasa County while supervising the distribution of exam materials, issued a stern warning Monday to what he termed as exam cartels planning to engage in any exam malpractice saying that the government will not have pity on them.

Magoha further revealed that the Ministry had managed to break a ring of what he described as crooks comprised of teachers, parents and students planning to steal the exams.

“I want to warn that any teacher who feels he or she is brave enough to open the extermination papers before time, we shall know where you have done it and we shall come for you,” said Magoha.

“The children are not guilty, the guilty are the parents and mostly teachers some of whom are just crooks. We dismantled one of their cartels having arrested some of them, we have noticed that they have formed a new one. We are closely monitoring them and shall soon catch up with them,” he added.

About 831,015 form four students are sitting this year’s exams in 10,413 examination centers spread across the country with each exam center being manned by two police officers.

The number of candidates has increased by 78,034 signifying a 9.39 per cent surge from the 752,981 candidates who sat the exams in 2020.

The students began with English Paper one followed by Mathematics paper one and English Comprehension.

However, the practical’s and oral tests for German, French, Arabic and Kenya sign language began on February 28.

 The CS said that students were well prepared for the exams with schools and teachers finishing their syllabus on time in readiness for the exams.

“I want to wish the candidates the very best in their exams and tell them that they should run away from Satan, don’t accept someone to send you things on phone. You don’t need an idiot to give you the wrong answers, a teacher who steals exams is not intelligent,” said Magoha.

Magoha also lauded the multi-agency team especially the cooperation between his Ministry and that of ICT and Interior and other education stakeholders for delivering credible exams since 2016.

This being his last examination as education CS, Magoha called on Kenyans not to slide back irrespective of what happens as he advised whoever will take over the docket in the next government to maintain the standards set.

“I would also want to charge the next government whichever it is that since no condition is permanent, but our children, their being in school is permanent and that they should be very careful with changing things just because you don’t like the person who did it.

He further said that the government had deployed ten choppers on standby to deliver exam materials to areas with difficulty to access.