By AUGUSTINE ODUOR
At least 18 candidates and ten teachers may land in jail for allegedly engaging in examination irregularities.
The Kenya National Examination Council (Knec) security officials have also netted four fraudsters and some university students in a massive crackdown on cheating across the country.
In Homa Bay County. Senior Resident Magistrate Bernard Omwansa has already sentenced one candidate to two years with an alternative fine of Sh20,000.
The 18-year-old student at Okok Mixed Secondary School pleaded guilty to being in possession of Geography questions ahead of the examination.
Seven more candidates face the same punishment if found guilty by a Kilgoris court.
They are Nanga Sankale, 22, Kombo Nyambegi, 18, Nkuri Olonana, 18, Sieur James, 18, Ngoroin Ledama, 19, Mwita Stephen Marwa, 17, and Kedok Nicholus Morintat.
The Kilgoris Boys’ Secondary School students were charged that on November 12, while sitting for a Geography paper, they were found in possession of unauthorised examination materials purported to be related to the content of the said examination paper.
Carry own cross
They pleaded not guilty and were released on a Sh100,000 bond each until the hearing set for November 22. Yesterday, three students were arraigned before a Mombasa court charged with being in possession of in possession of KCSE Agriculture and Kiswahili Fasihi papers before the examinations was administered.
Another student, Leakey Apuko of Kanga High School, denied cheating in Chemistry paper at a Rongo court.
Under section 27 (1) of the new Knec Act, unauthorised possession of examination paper, material or information attracts imprisonment for a term not exceeding ten years or a fine no exceeding Sh2 million or both.
Knec chief executive officer Paul Wasanga said anybody caught in the act of examination malpractice will carry his or her own cross.
He said the council had warned all candidates, teachers and examination officials against cheating in light of the Knec Act that spells stern penalties for cheats.
In Garissa, another six candidates have been arrested in possession of pre-prepared notes in an examination room. This comes even after Knec cancelled results of several candidates in the county early this year.
Knec says one supervisor and two invigilators have been arrested in Oyugis after they sneaked examination papers to candidates.
The teachers were attached to Geb secondary school in Rachuonyo South District as examination officials.
Recently, a villager in Kwale was sentenced to one year in jail after he attempted to sell examination material to a high school.
Three Maseno University students have also been arrested as they tried to send examination questions to candidates via short text messages.
In Makueni, a Kenyatta University student was also arrested as he tried to send a teacher and three candidates examination material through SMS.
Two teachers and a candidate have also been arrested in Mombasa as they tried to handle examination questions before time.
The teachers attempted to send the questions via text message. They were arraigned in court yesterday.
Another teacher was arrested in Malindi as he collected cash to purchase examination materials.
Wasanga told The Standard that the teacher had collected over Sh128,000 from candidates.
He said each candidate in the school was asked to pay Sh1,000.
