After conducting countrywide sittings and questioning Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu and KNEC CEO Dr David Njengere over alleged exam malpractice in 2022 KCSE, the National Assembly Committee on Education, chaired by Tinderet MP Julius Melly, will next month present a detailed report laying bare exactly what transpired in last year’s exams.
The committee sought explanation on what they termed as abnormal curves of improved performance in some schools.
It also wanted clarity over claims that practical exams were heavily leaked by teachers who reportedly took advantage of the instructions sent prior to help in preparation of laboratory reagents and specimens for the examinations.
Kitutu Masaba MP Clive Gisairo sought answers on claims of collusion between teachers and candidates which resulted into some schools performing abnormally well.
Kabondo Kasipul MP Eve Akinyi noted that there were instances where candidates’ scripts had similar responses and handwritings.
Despite massive claims of exam leakage, the education CS and KNEC CEO have stood their ground and supported the exam’s integrity.
Speaking at a Mombasa hotel, Machogu said there has been widespread misinformation and false narratives targeting the 2022 KCSE results.
The CS alleged there was a deliberate, well-orchestrated smear campaign that used fake media accounts to spread false information about examination malpractices in the 2022 examination,
“Facts and figures have been deliberately ignored. Misleading information has been peddled through mainstream media and social media channels to drive particular narratives and to profile certain schools and counties. Regrettably, this has been done at the expense of hardworking, honest and innocent children,” he explained.
He claimed that videos purported to be admissions of cheating were manipulated.
“Sadly many leaders and media spaces continued to spread this information without even a basic interrogation,” charged the CS, who further alleged that some individuals took advantage of the public hearings by the committee “to settle scores with the council.”
He gave an example of one Nelson Majimbo who told the committee of alleged irregularities in the exam.
“If a background check is done on the said individual, it will be established that he was dismissed as an examiner in 2015 for violating KNEC rules and regulations,” Machogu clarified.
On the other hand, Njeng’ere explained that it is unfair to measure the performance of a particular candidate to that of a candidate who sat his/her exams the previous year.
He reckoned the only way to measure a candidate’s performance is by looking at the entry behavior in form one and their performance during the entire four years of secondary education.
The CEO urged the committee not to assume that a school’s mean score will always be in the same range of the school’s performance the previous year.
“There are weak students who struggle to improve their value added by form four. This implies that there is absolutely nothing abnormal with the curve of grades we have been receiving in our schools,” Njeng’ere said.
He explained that students can’t be punished for presenting similar responses since such instances could be responses to closed questions that require specific answers.
He dismissed reports that there was collaboration between KNEC officials and center managers terming it extremely misleading.
The CEO said parents were duped into buying fake papers and what appeared on social media sites were fake exam materials.
“Parents pay money to rogue agents who have made them believe they (the agents) are KNEC officers,” he said, further challenging the committee to access the social media sites claiming to have this year’s exams, get the papers then later compare them to the actual papers in November.
He stated categorically that only a few people have access to national examination papers once set.
By Hilton Mwabili
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