Magoha warns of exam cheating in refugee camps, circulation of fake papers

Education CS George Magoha has revealed that there have been attempts to tamper with examination papers in some centres in the country.

The CS directed the invigilators and monitors to be on guard to maintain the integrity of the examinations. 

"We have realized that some areas in this country have tampered with paper two and this emphasizes the need to have policemen to ensure that one of the two is constantly within the examination centre. We are Kenyans and we know what can happen," said Magoha.

He was speaking in Machakos town on Tuesday as he supervised the distribution of day three examination papers.

"I want to challenge all the monitors that they are not flower girls. They are supposed to be actively monitoring ensuring that everybody is not resting so that they can maintain the integrity of the exams," the CS said.

Magoha said the government is aware that some people from the refugee camps were attempting to sit for examinations on behalf of their children and warned that they will be dealt with accordingly.

"We are also aware that there are attempts still to get people to come to sit for examinations. The integrity of the second paper is going to be our focus," he noted.

"Let me warn those who want to destroy our children especially in the refugee camps where they think that they have an access to do whatever they want. We shall tame them and in the event that you have succeeded in doing something that is not reasonable our gallant teachers who are marking these exams will find out."

He warned parents to abstain from destroying their children's future by tampering with their examinations arguing by so doing they will be condemning their children without a good reason.

The CS also revealed that there were fake examination papers being distributed in the country.

"We are also aware that people are also trying to peddle fake papers and the gullible centre managers are engaging them," he said.

"Stop spending such much energy in trying to destroy the integrity of these examinations as well as a small group of those children."

He said they have agreed with the Machakos County Commissioner Fredrick Ndunga to have at the minimum two armed police officers supervise exams at every centre in the county.

"So we have agreed with the county commissioner despite all the duties the officers are doing that we must have at the minimum two armed security officers and a centre manager to supervise the exams at every centre," he added.

He rubbished the idea of NYS supervising the exams adding that the government had promised that they had enough funds to hire armed and well-trained officers to ensure the integrity of the KCSE examinations.

Magoha directed all monitors to ensure no student is found with a cell phone even though President Uhuru Kenyatta had ordered that the students should be allowed to continue with their examinations in the event that one is found with a phone.

"Nobody must have a phone so ensure that every child has none. If any student is found with one can we, for now, take the phone and leave them to complete the exam. That's what the President has ordered," noted Magoha.

He also stated that the process of marking Class eight KCPE exams is at 40 per cent.

"As far as the primary school exam is concerned we are proceeding well we are at 40 per cent and soon we shall brief you," he said.

Magoha commended Machakos County for having improved in terms of guarding and ensuring the safety of the examinations but said a lot more was needed to be done.

"We have found reasonable improvement but we must still reemphasize the issue of security on integrity on our examinations which are no longer negotiable. We are firmly in control and we must be extra vigilant," Magoha said.