Five charged for giving students Math exam leakage

Invigilator frisks KCSE candidates before the start of the Kiswahili Paper at Njoro Boys’ High school in Nakuru County on November 7, 2018. [Kipsang Joseph, Standard]

Five people were yesterday charged with irregularities in the ongoing Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations.

Salim Mango, Press Dence, Nelson Sakwa, Nessy Georgious and Mosy Modician were accused of being in possession of exam information contrary to the Kenya National Examinations Council (Knec) Act, 2002.

The five, who are teachers at Shamta Academy, are said to have been found with the leak materials for Mathematics Paper on November 6 at the institution.

According to court documents, the accused were giving the students questions and answers when the latter went out for short calls.

They were arrested when officers manning the institution got suspicious of the frequent movements of students and found them with the leak materials.

The teachers denied the charges when they appeared before Kakamega Principal Magistrate Hazel Wandere. They were released on Sh50,000 bond.

The case will be mentioned on November 20, and a hearing date set.

Suspects remanded

On Tuesday, 15 suspects linked to exam malpractices at Monianku Secondary School in South Mugirango were remanded by a Kisii court for five days as investigation into the matter continues.

The arrests and arraignment in court come as Knec released a toll-free line and other hotlines for the public to report suspicious cases of cheating in examinations.

The numbers are 0800724900 (toll free) 0796975104, 0796975132, 0796974984, 0796974985, 0797147335, 0797146835.

At Moi High School Kapsowar in Elgeyo Marakwet County CCTV cameras have been mounted to guard against exam cheating.

Save for a few places like toilets and inside dormitories, the entire institution is under a 24-hour surveillance.

“We embraced the technology not necessarily for the manning of KCSE examination but to deter bad behaviour from within and outside the school,” said school principal Hellen Nyabuto.

[Story by Jack Murima, Mercy Kahenda and Fred Kibor]