Only two phones will be allowed within examination centres in enhanced efforts by the government to curb exam cheating in KCSE.
Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha said on Monday only the examination centre manager and one security officer will be allowed to have their phones within examination centres for emergency purposes.
"The reason being there could be interactive; a child may fall sick and there may be a need for communication," Magoha announced in what he termed as a painful decision.
"But for all the other mortals like myself, invigilators, supervisors and the other security people, they will leave their cellphones at home. They don't need them," Magoha stressed.
He spoke while supervising the distribution of KCSE exam papers in Kisumu as the examinations entered the second week.
The ban of mobile phones in schools during exams comes just five days after Magoha cited the gadgets as the biggest enemy to examination integrity alongside impersonation and early exposure of exam questions.
A few mobile phones have been confiscated from candidates in exam rooms since the beginning of the exams but Magoha said none contained answers.
"When I give you my assurance as the head of the education sector in this country that the examination has not leaked, take it to the bank," Magoha said.
In 2020, the results of 287 KCSE candidates were cancelled due to cheating.
Among them were some 211 candidates whose results were cancelled after they were found with unauthorized materials in examination rooms.
The number included 45 candidates who were found with mobile phones.
