No standard eight exam paper has been leaked, says Knec chairman

An Administration Police officer guards a container that will be used to store Kenya Certificate of Secondary Examinations papers outside County Commissioner's office in Chuka town. [PHOTO: KEVIN NGAI/STANDARD]

Kenya National Examinations Council (Knec) yesterday maintained there were no leaks in the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) exam.

This follows reports that several papers of the exam set to kick off tomorrow are on sale in some parts of the country.

Knec Chairman George Magoha while admitting that the council had received such complaints, allayed fears that the said papers were genuine.

In one of the incidents, a teacher in Migori County was caught selling an English exam paper to a pupil of Rongo Primary School.

Prof Magoha, however, said in a statement the alleged exam papers, which were forwarded to the council for scrutiny, had been found to be fake.

“We wish to notify the public that some of these papers have been sent to the council, which has scrutinised and found that all of them are fake,” said Prof Magoha.

TOUGH MEASURES

He warned the public not to fall prey to such antics by unscrupulous individuals who are out to manipulate the tough measures put in place by the council to ensure this year’s exams are conducted in a transparent way.

“Papers being sold to unsuspecting Kenyans do not have the slightness likeness to what we have set and printed,” said Prof Magoha.

“The council wishes to categorically inform the public that this year’s KCPE examination papers have not been leaked whatsoever.”

NO GEOMETRICAL SETS

As part of the tough measure put in place to avoid cheating in this year’s national exams, candidates will not be allowed to have the famous clip boards in the exam rooms.

Geometrical sets will also not be allowed into the exam room, with candidates only allowed to carry the instruments in a clear see-through plastic bags.

The new measures were agreed on by the three Cabinet secretaries mandated to ensure exam safety - Education CS Fred Matiang’i, Interior’s Joseph Nkaissery and Information Communication Technology’s Joe Mucheru.