Kenya needs more technocrats following Matiangi’s performance

Kenya has ridden to hell and back in the past four months amidst the heated political environment. It has been a period of great economic barrenness, with a huge number of activities and events having been inevitably disrupted. Successful conduct of the national examinations could undoubtedly have been the least to be expected, taking the nature of violence experienced in some parts of the country that led to loss of lives.

When Fred Matiang’i released the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education exam results recently, it was fascinating to see how the country unanimously and with delight applauded him and his team for the good work. The results were released way ahead of the anticipated time. Moreover, unlike the regrettable marks most of the students scored in last year with the incipience of new regulations, the country saw a tremendous return to record better marks.

We also noted impressive results in most of the schools in insecurity-prone parts of the North Rift region like Baringo, Turkana, West Pokot and Elgeyo-Marakwet. While we still cannot label all the players involved in this process this time as infallible, we are obliged to take home a few lessons that should help us build more concrete and well-coordinated institutions that can seamlessly lead national programmes to fruition.

It is easy to commend the role of Dr Matiang’i in bringing sanity to a crucial sector that was on the verge of tearing apart. But it is also clear that the country, more than ever before, is desperately crying out for people who are ready to meticulously execute that which is expected of them. It is yearning to have technocrats who are not only ready to rise above the inherent norms in those dockets, but also ensure the right tasks are executed unexceptionally.

Measures taken

Curbing perennial examination cheating at the KCPE level of exams could be one of the achievements this leadership has saved the country from to reaffirm credibility and reliability of national examinations. Intriguingly, this could just be so because deliberate and concerted efforts were made to ensure that cheating does not occur.

We have always commiserated with the high levels of exam cheating with several cases of pointing fingers noticed in the administrators of the examination. We will live to remember very recently, in 2015, when a total of 2, 709 KCPE candidates were caught cheating, which was an increase of 1,007 cases in 2014. Unlike this time, 157 persons were arrested having been engaged in perpetrating exam irregularities.

In 2016, having been the year when the new regulations to curb exam cheating set foot, the results were dismally low, with most of the students scoring poor results compared to all the other years before.

It however seems that the realisation that leakage was no longer at the disposal of anyone, if that is anything to go by as a reason to the low performance, both the candidates and the teaching staff might have taken a paradigm shift in their preparation for this year’s exams. Earnest efforts to work for genuine results must have been the mantle embraced by the many schools that rose to record remarkable results.

Statistics

A general overview of the comparison of the results between last year and this year could easily reveal the profound difference. The number of candidates who scored 400 marks and above increased from 5,190 in 2016 to 9,846 in 2017.

In addition, those who scored less than 100 marks from 6, 792 in 2016 to 2,360 in 2017, despite the increase of the registered candidates from 952,021 in 2016 to 993,718 in 2017. Improvement can only be noted when serious efforts are made and the stern rules of examination must have to a large extent sanitised the lost culture of hard work for exemplary results, which is a culture that should be nurtured consistently going forward.

Undoubtedly, the manner in which the players in the education sector have carried themselves in this period clearly depicted a sense of common purpose. There is a palpable desire to see a Kenya where children are well-equipped and empowered to successfully cruise through their learning process.

The 20 new scanning machines by KNEC that reduced the workforce by 50 per cent changed the course of marking in the whole process. This collaborative effort to utilise technology every step of the exercise provided good and reliable security.

Going forward, we should be able to see more processes that will keep restoring the seriousness that’s deserved in not only this sector, but others in the economy. We thrive more in our pursuits as a nation when those at the helm of institutions are driven by integrity and a desire to see progress above their own interests.