By Allan Kibet
As the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination enters the second week, the Education Cabinet Secretary Prof. George Magoha has expressed his satisfaction with the precision in the administration of the examinations so far.
In a press statement release on March 20 by the Ministry of Education, the CS termed the progress in administering the examinations to 831,015 candidates as remarkable as he refuted claims that there were mass irregularities.
The CS reiterated that there was no single paper that has been leaked so far since the examination started on March 14, adding that all the papers have been delivered to every examination center with all the unique security features remaining intact. He promised that none of the remaining papers will leak.
He went ahead to heap praises on the Kenya National Examination Council’s (KNEC) contracted personnel for ensuring that the examinations run smoothly, saying that they have put aside all their personal and official demands to ensure that KCSE examinations are safeguarded.
CS Magoha however acknowledged that even after sealing all the loopholes of leaking examinations, a few unscrupulous people who for the last five years been trying dirty tricks, changed tact in what he called ‘early exposure’ where they open examination papers a few hours earlier than stipulated time at examination centers.
The same dishonest people, the CS said; make attempts of sneaking mobile phones into containers where they take pictures of some examination papers before delivering them to hired men who are waiting outside the centers.
He warned that the Ministry of Education is working with a group of Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) officers to net the criminals.
The tough talking CS Magoha therefore directed all the Center Managers and examination officials to ensure strict adherence to the examination guidelines.
The CS further directed that: all school gates to be kept wide open to allow ease of monitoring, security officers to sit at advantage positions to be able to secure the second papers as the morning paper is underway, supervisors and invigilators to take no offs while the paper is underway, Center Managers not to allow any unauthorized teacher an mobile phones to be kept out of the centers except one for the manager and another one for the security officer. The phones are to be kept at the Center Manager’s office to help in emergencies.
The CS urged all those involved in the administering of the examinations from different government departments to ensure they deliver a credible examination.
