Exam cheating has been a big problem to the credibility of the Kenyan Education system. Former education CS Fred Matiang’i gave Kenyans hope when he implemented several measures aimed at ending the vice.
But Matiang’i did not last long at Elimu house as President Uhuru Kenyatta appointed him the Interior CS and appointed Ambassador Amina Mohammed as his replacement.
Amina has been speaking tough on exam cheating. The Ministry has even said that parents found aiding their children to cheat in exams risk losing their KCPE and KCSE certificates.
But it seems those warnings have not been enough. With strict measures in place, candidates continue to implement more ways to cheat.
Some of these ways are so daring that the examiners cannot even imagine that someone can try that.
Take for example the case of a man who was arrested in an exam center in Kakamega County on Tuesday. The guy was dressed in a girls’ uniform posing as a candidate ready for a Music exam.
The suspect who is yet to be identified put on the uniform and went on the take the music practicals at Mukuyu Girls’ Secondary School.
According to reports, it wasn’t until he started playing the instruments with the adeptness of a professional musician that the alarm was raised. Now it is easy to fake your gender in a different exam but not a Music Practical paper. That’s just too daring or stupid.
Confirming the incident, Criminal Intelligence Officer, Mr John Onyango, stated that the man was a form three student at Eden Valley Secondary School in Uasin Gishu County.
The officer stated that the suspect had been apprehended at Lumakanda Police Station and would be arraigned in court in Eldoret town.
Additional reports indicate that the school’s principal Christina Kitabi and the music teacher were also taken into custody following the incident.
At the same time, police arrested a security guard in Kajiado for allegedly attempting to sneak fake exam papers into an exam centre.
Education CS Amina Mohamed was on Tuesday at Kiambu sub-county to oversee the opening of the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) container and distribution of examination material.
“We started off with a word of prayer for our nation and our children. Sending the very best wishes to all our candidates.
“Three candidates from Githunguri, Ruiru and Kasarani are hospitalized and ample arrangements have been made to administer the examination in hospital. This will be the practice across the country. We will leave no child behind,” she conveyed.