The examinations council has appointed head teachers as exam centre managers.
They have been warned they will be held responsible for any cheating by candidates.
Appointment letters from the Kenya National Examinations Council to the head teachers emphasises the roles they will play as they oversee administration of this year’s primary and secondary schools final exams.
“You are directly accountable, responsible and answerable for any examination malpractices that will take place in your institution,” Knec acting CEO Mercy Karogo said in the letter dated September 22.
The heads, together with county and subcounty directors of education, are also accountable for exam materials.
The development follows an earlier announcement by Education CS Fred Matiang’i that Knec would contract head teachers as exam centre managers.
“School heads will work closely with carefully selected supervisors,” Matiang’i said in May.
The 2015 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education exam was plagued by 2,709 cases of cheating, while the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education exam hit a record 5,101 cases.
Head teachers will be required to collect exam papers from distribution centres at the subcounty level.
Examination distribution centres have dominantly been identified as the origin of exams leakage. The focus on examination centres seeks to curb these leakages.
Teachers’ unions — Knut and Kuppet — have differed on whether head teachers should collect and return examination papers from the distribution centres on a daily basis.
Knut secretary general Wilson Sossion said the collection of examination papers is the job of Knec contracted supervisors.