We must stop this nonsense of examination malpractice- completely. There can be no compromise, no middle ground, no sugarcoating. Cheating in national examinations – through collusion, impersonation, leakages or any other form – is a national shame that we must confront head-on. We cannot continue pretending that it is a minor problem. It is not. It is shit and it must cease. It is a cancer eating into the moral fabric of our education system, slowly destroying the value of hard work, honesty and merit.
When a nation allows examination cheating to thrive, it signs the death certificate of integrity. It tells young people that shortcuts pay, that dishonesty works, and that effort is for the foolish. Once that message takes root, everything else begins to rot — workplaces fill with incompetence, leadership loses credibility, and society sinks into mediocrity.
Cheating in national examinations is not just a crime against the law; it is a crime against the future. It cheats not only the system, but also the honest learner who burns the midnight oil, the parent who sacrifices to pay school fees, and the teacher who labours to prepare learners. When a dishonest student gets rewarded, the message is clear: values don’t matter. And when values don’t matter, the nation perishes.
We must therefore call this evil by its real name. It is theft — the theft of marks, merit, opportunity, and national honour. Those who leak exams are thieves. Those who receive them are accomplices. Those who look away are enablers. It must end.
We need a new culture of accountability. Schools must be sacred spaces of truth and fairness. Invigilators must act with the courage of police officers, not the cowardice of bystanders. School heads must protect examination integrity with the same zeal that soldiers defend their borders. Parents must teach their children that honesty is more valuable than grades. And the government, through KNEC and the Ministry of Education, must enforce zero tolerance for any form of malpractice.
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Technology has made it easier to cheat — but it can also help us to stop it. We can strengthen surveillance, trace leaks digitally, and personalize examination materials so that no one can impersonate another. But the real solution lies deeper than gadgets and cameras. It lies in conscience. It lies in the rebirth of moral responsibility in every learner, teacher and education officer.
We must go back to teaching values, not just content. A student who fears God, respects self, and honours truth will not cheat, even when no one is watching. A teacher who sees their work as a calling will never compromise their duty. A headteacher who understands that integrity is leadership will never tolerate malpractice within their school.
The war on examination cheating must be fought with the same seriousness as the war on corruption. Because, in truth, they are one and the same. The child who cheats in school grows up to steal in public office. The invigilator who takes a bribe to allow cheating is no different from the officer who takes a bribe to bend the law. The rot begins in the examination room – that’s where we first teach corruption.
Let us therefore rise together – teachers, parents, learners and citizens – and say: enough is enough. No more leakages. No more impersonation. No more collusion. No more shortcuts. Let honesty be our national examination policy. Let merit be the only currency that counts.
And to those who are tempted to cheat this year, remember this: when you steal an exam, you steal your own future. You may pass the test, but you will fail in life. The results slip may have an A, but your conscience will carry an E forever.
Examinations are meant to measure learning, not deceit. Let every learner stand before the paper with dignity, not dishonesty. Let every teacher supervise with integrity, not indifference. Let every parent pray for effort, not luck.
The Kenya we dream of – honest, hardworking, excellent – will not be built by cheaters. It will be built by those who believe that truth still matters. We owe it to our children, to our schools, and to our flag to restore honour to our examinations.
This is the time to act. Not next year. Not next term. Now. Because if we lose integrity in our examinations, we lose integrity in our nation.
By Ashford Kimani
Ashford teaches English and Literature in Gatundu North Sub-county and serves as Dean of Studies.
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