By Titus Too
Nine Form Three students were arrested as they attempted to sit an examination on behalf Form Four candidates.
Invigilators and school authorities arrested the students shortly before start of the Chemistry theory paper at Kilibwoni Secondary School in Nandi Central District.
Local OCPD James Mugera said one of the invigilators, Catherine Jepkosgei, noticed a strange candidate enter the examination room as they were about to start the paper shortly before 8.30am, on Tuesday.
"When the invigilator detected the impostor, she asked him to identify himself and he gave the name of the genuine candidate," said Mr Mugera.
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He said the invigilator noted the student had not been sitting the papers from the start of the exams last week and got suspicious.
He said the invigilator alerted the school’s deputy principal Daniel Kemboi who then ordered a thorough scrutiny of all candidates sitting the KCSE examination at the centre.
The OCPD said the nine ‘ghost’ candidates who had attempted to sit the exam on behalf of their Form Four friends were identified as Form Three students at the school.
Tuesday’s incident was the latest, as education stakeholders demand fairness and integrity in national examinations.
Integrity
Mugera said the nine genuine candidates suspected to have been asleep in one of the dormitories vanished into adjacent forest and tea plantations after they discovered their trick had been discovered.
He said the police were called and arrested the nine impostors.
They were booked at the Kapsabet Police Station and are expected to appear in court today.
He said the whereabouts of the nine genuine candidates had not been established since they missed the morning and the afternoon examinations.
"They will be allowed to sit the remaining papers if they return then there after, they would be arrested," said Mugera.
The incident led to tension between the school authority and students in the other classes.
Eased tension
However, the OCPD said, the school administration eased the tension and the examination proceeded.
Last week, parliamentary chairman on education, research and science David Koech tabled a report in Parliament recommending stiffer penalties on exam cheats and those who abet the menace.
Cheating in national examinations has put the Kenya National Examination Council in a spot. Some leaders, including MPs have called for an overhaul of the exam council.
