MPs demand audit of KCSE results, push for House special sitting

A section of MPs from left, Walter Owino (Awendo), Mark Nyamite (Uriri) and Caleb Amisi (Saboti) address a press conference in Nairobi on Wednesday December 27, 2017 regarding mass failure, in the just concluded 2017 KCSE exams.The MPs questioned credibility of the results calling for immediate resignation of Education CS Fred Matiang'i. [David Njaaga,Standard]

Four Opposition MPs are pushing for a special House sitting to discuss mass failure in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination.

MPs Mark Nyamita (Uriri), Caleb Amisi (Saboti), Walter Owino (Awendo) and Godfrey Osotsi (nominated) further demand the immediate resignation of Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i to pave way for a thorough audit of the results.

The latest demands are part of a national uproar that has greeted the exam results that have seen nearly 90 per cent of this year’s Form Four candidates fail to attain the university pass mark of C+.

Out of the 610,000 candidates who sat for the national test, only 70,073 managed C+ and above.

Addressing a press conference in Nairobi yesterday, the MPs said they had written to National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi to convene a special sitting even as they threatened to move an impeachment motion against Dr Matiang’i if he does not resign.

“As the constitutionally recognised representatives of the people, we are obliged by the Constitution and Standing Orders to pronounce ourselves on a matter of public interest and the current raging debate on KSCE results undoubtedly meets the requisite threshold for Parliament’s action,” they said in the letter.

“On this basis, we implore you to recall Members of Parliament from recess for a special sitting of the House pursuant to Standing Order number 29 to debate the 2017 KCSE results,” they added.

Special motion

However, according to Standing Order 29, a special sitting of the House can only be convened by the Speaker on request of either the Leader of Majority or Leader of Minority.

The speaker only allows such a request if the matter to be discussed is a special motion of urgent and exceptional.

But National Assembly Clerk Michael Sialai last evening said Mr Muturi had not received the letter by the MPs.

"We have not received any letter or request to that effect. In case such a request is made, the business proposed to be transacted must be urgent and exceptional and must comply with SO 29(1) and (2) in order for the speaker to satisfy himself that there is need for such a sitting," said Mr Sialai.

Mr Nyamita said the mass failure is a national disaster in waiting and must be addressed urgently failure to which the country will have shattered the lives of more than 2.5 million children in the next five years.