Sossion praises Matiang'i as four arrested for abetting exam cheating

A teachers' union has applauded Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i's efforts to curb cheating in national examinations.

Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) Secretary General Wilson Sossion said they have for the first time witnessed deliberate efforts to eliminate cheating during national examinations.

"We give credit where it's due. We want to commend the CS because of what is happening in the education sector with respect to exams and we urge teachers and parents to support the process," said the Knut secretary general.

Matiang'i had earlier warned that officials involved in distributing examinations would be punished if they engaged in irregularities, stating that the ministry would not condone indiscipline during the exam period.

There have been a few reported cases of malpractice in the exam, which kicked off on Monday. Some of the reported cases involved tampering with examination materials and impersonation.

The Government had assured Kenyans that they had put measures in place to curb cheating this year.

Last year, 5,101 KCSE candidates had their results cancelled because of examination malpractices.

Meanwhile, Police in Homa Bay last evening arrested four people for allegedly abetting examination cheating at a secondary school.

County Commissioner Kassim Farah told reporters the head teacher, a supervisor and two security officers in charge of manning the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Examination exams at the school, were arrested for submitting an envelope containing the English Paper II examinations without a security seal.

Speaking to journalists in his office, the commissioner said the four are being interrogated for submitting answer sheets without a mandatory seal, raising suspicion the papers may have been tampered with.

ANSWER SHEETS

He said the suspects have recorded statements with police for not sealing the answer sheets that belonged to 17 students.

"Returning answer sheets without covering them is one of the exam irregularities hence those who were to receive the papers rejected it," Mr Farrah said.

Farrah explained that the four will be arraigned in court tomorrow morning following the incident.

He said that the law requires that answer sheets be packed and sealed at the exam centres.