Azimio leader Raila Odinga has called for the formation of a task force to investigate what transpired in this year’s Kenya Certificate of Primary Education exams.
The Opposition chief said the blame lies squarely with the government on whose watch the exam integrity was compromised right from the point examination papers were printed to the relaying of results.
“We pointed out this mess but we also say that a task force ought to be set up to investigate and come up with an amicable way out of this mess,” Raila said.
Speaking during a press conference on Wednesday, the former Prime Minister said it’s such a shame that Kenya’s reputation for credible examinations and certificates is at stake courtesy of impunity and corruption.
He said the major reforms initiated in 2016 in the education sector and notably in the management of national examinations have been eroded over the past two years where some schools and students are allowed to cheat and get away with it.
“Today, this respect for our education and particularly our exams is under serious threat. That is why our young people joke darkly whether their colleagues have Prof Jacob Kaimenyi, Dr Fred Matiangi or Prof George Magoha exam grades,” Raila said.
Raila said the task force should train its eyes on higher offices whose holders he claimed were involved in the impunity exams management whose outcome is now messing up the future of young people.
He said the mess started as a tender war pitting various senior officials in the Ministry of Education against each other before eventually being taken over by an official much higher in government.
“Consequently, for the first time in our country, some children are in court, seeking to establish their true grades while the education ministry is admitting students to form one, including those still challenging the marks they were awarded,” Raila said.
Knec admitted that some 133 candidates received wrong results as a result of misalignment of marks.
The agency's CEO David Njengere said on November 26 that some candidates received low marks in some of the subjects, mainly in English and Kiswahili.
He, however, assured that all 133 cases have been addressed and results for the affected candidates updated appropriately.
Raila, has meanwhile, written to the DCI and 12 other bodies including church organizations asking them to stand up and ensure the integrity of the country's exams is not eroded.
