By Fredrick Odiero
Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) has finally released results of Kenya Certificate of secondary education for 2021 of Oriwo Boys High School in Karachuonyo Constituency after a month of waiting.
The results were released on Friday after KNEC withheld them on grounds that it was conducting investigations on suspension that some irregularities might have occurred when the exams were being undertaken.
KNEC withheld results of 549 candidates as tension remained high in the school.
The school Principal Maurice Akal had said they did not know why the school results were not released when Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha was announcing them.
Magoha released KCSE examination results on April 23.
“I don’t know what happened with the results. KNEC is yet to give us reasons why it did so,” Akal said.
The incident did not only affect the candidates but other stakeholders including parents, teachers and current learners.
But Speaking to journalists at the school on Saturday, the school deputy principal in charge of academics Mordecai Ogembo said they are happy after KNEC released the results.
He said KNEC had written to the school that it was investigating claims of alleged exam irregularities committed as candidates were undertaking exams.
KNEC said it was going to communicate on investigations outcome within 30 days..
“We’re joyous that KNEC released the results before 30 days elapsed. In the results 521 candidates got C+ and above that will enable them go to university,” Ogembo said.
In the results, 10 students got A-, 61 B+, 152 B, 167 B-, 130 C+, 26 C and 2 C-. Ogembo said the school got a mean grade of 8.2.
He defended the school against claims that it was being watched by KNEC as one of the institutions which students could have colluded to steal exams.
Ogembo said withholding exam results is something normal under KNEC regulations.
“We had set our target at a mean of over 9 points. We are however convinced with what we have got,” he added.
Earlier the candidates who sat the 2021 KCSE at Oriwo Boys High School in Karachuonyo constituency had to wait for a month to know the fate of their withheld results.
Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) had written a letter to inform the school that there is an ongoing investigation on suspicion of some irregularities when the exams were being undertaken.
More than 500 candidates of the school failed to get back their examination results when Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha released the results last Saturday.
Tension engulfed the school where Principal Maurice Akal said he did not know what happened with the results.
Akal said he had not received official communication from the Kenya National Examinations Council on why the school did not get its results.
“I don’t know what happened with the results. KNEC is yet to give us reasons why it did so,” Akal said..
KNEC through its Chief Executive Officer David Njengere wrote to the school saying the results were withheld pending investigations on whether they may have engaged in examination irregularities.
“The results of all candidates at Oriwo Boys High school, centre code 41731303 have been withheld on suspicion that they may have engaged in examination irregularities during the conduct of the 2021 KCSE Examination,” the letter read in parts.
The latter was copied to Nyanza Regional Director of Education and Homa Bay County Education Director.
Njengere said all candidates at the school were affected.
The officer said investigations are ongoing and they will communicate their findings within 30 days
“This is done to allow for completion of investigations in the exercise of the powers under rule 8 and 9 of the KNEC (handling of examination irregularities) rules of 2015 as read with the Kenya National Examinations Council Act number 29 of 2012,” Njengere wrote.
Akal was instructed to communicate the message to the affected candidates.
Oriwo Boys High school has been one of the top performing schools in national exams.
It has a history of producing top candidates nationally and this has put it on the national map.
The school was listed as one of the most improved schools in the previous year’s (2020) exams.
Oriwo Boys High school is among the top learning institutions in 2021 KCSE in Homa Bay.
Orero High School got a mean of 9.4083, Gendia High School (9.3121) Mbita High School (9.1595) Moi Girls High Sindo (9.0) Asumbi Girls High School (8.812) Ober Boys Sec School, (8.80) and Agoro Sare High School with 8.5.
