In a major announcement made by the Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba, results of 840 candidates who sat for the 2024 KCSE examination had been canceled owing to suspected cases of exam cheating. This comes as the government continues it’s relentless efforts to uphold the integrity of Kenya’s education system.
CS Ogamba further announced that results of another 2,829 candidates had been withheld pending investigations into alleged examination malpractices. Ogamba however assured the public that investigations into alleged mulpractises will be concluded within 30 days from the official release date of the examination results.
Professionals Under Investigation
The Education Cabinet Secretary noted that investigations were on-going on a total of 91 contracted professionals by KNEC, who are allegedly linked to the malpractices on examinations.
“It is unfortunate that a few contracted professionals and teachers are still ruining the future of our learners by subjecting them to examination malpractices,” Ogamba said, adding that severe actions will be taken against those found guilty.
Government Reforms to Curb Cheating
The Ministry of Education has been implementing major reforms in order to uphold the credibility of Kenya’s examination process. Over the last couple of years, KNEC has taken different measures in curtailing the menace through using CCTV cameras at examination centers, enforcing tight invigilation policies, as well as deploying security officers during the actual administration of exams.
Despite these efforts, examination cheating has remained a major issue in the country, as has just been witnessed in this latest incident. The government has reassured its commitment to ensuring fairness and transparency in national examinations through the decisive handling of individuals and institutions involved in malpractice.
Impact on Affected Candidates
These withdrawals and withholdings could have been catastrophic for the candidates who underwent these results. It might have meant wasted time as some students are still waiting to join higher learning while others pursue other vocational jobs. But CS Ogamba repressed hopes by assuring students and parents alike that the Ministry was keen on clearing all these discrepancies in record time, communicating further actions way ahead.