We will not blink on exam rules, Ogamba warns

Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba engage security personnel maning the 2026 KCSE exams on November 4, 2026. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]

Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba has issued a stern warning to students, teachers and examination officials involved in examination malpractice.

Ogamba declared that the government is closely monitoring examination centres and anyone caught compromising the integrity of the 2026 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations will face the full force of the law.

Ogamba's warning comes amid heightened security operations following a dramatic incident at Nyabisase Mixed Secondary School in Bobasi, Kisii County, where students allegedly attacked a multi-agency team investigating suspected examination irregularities, leaving several officials injured and a police officer missing.

During the Thursday morning confrontation, students reportedly seized a Ceska pistol from one of the police officers, holding it for nearly three hours before it was recovered.

The incident occurred at approximately 10.30am when officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) and National Intelligence Service (NIS) visited the institution following reports of suspected examination malpractice.

The operation followed an alert by KNEC officials, who reported suspected irregularities at the school. The team reportedly discovered a laptop hidden behind the school administration offices and sought assistance from DCI officers stationed at Nyamache.

However, before additional investigators arrived, students allegedly turned violent, attacking police officers and KNEC officials.

Corporal Leonard Siele was reportedly seriously assaulted during the confrontation, after which his whereabouts became unknown, prompting a search operation. His Toyota Succeed vehicle was also allegedly seized and extensively damaged, with personal belongings stolen.

Kisii County Police Commander Ronald Kirui confirmed that several officers and examination officials sustained injuries, adding that anti-riot police had been deployed to restore order.

KNEC Chief Executive Officer Dr David Njengere hands KCSE examination papers to Lucy Wathika, principal Loreto Kiambu girls school on November 3, 2026. [Jonah Onyango, Standard] 

KNEC Chief Executive Officer Dr David Njengere described the incident as an indication of the resistance examination officials sometimes encounter as monitoring and invigilation measures are strengthened.

"It's a case of students becoming unruly as we tighten invigilation and monitoring. The situation is now calm," Njengere said.

He warned candidates against disregarding examination regulations, maintaining that authorities would not compromise on compliance.

"Candidates should know we are firm on following all rules and regulation examination. Malpractice will not be tolerated, and anyone found undermining the credibility of the country's education system will face consequences," he added.

Meanwhile, another suspected examination malpractice case emerged in Embu County, where a 31-year-old man was arrested for allegedly impersonating a registered KCSE candidate at Urban Integrated Senior School.

The suspect reportedly sat examinations on behalf of another candidate from Monday before his arrest. The centre is hosting 141 private candidates.

The actual registered candidate remains missing, with preliminary reports suggesting the two men may be acquaintances.

Embu County Director of Education Samuel Mutemi and  DCI officers have taken over investigations to establish how the impersonation was organised and whether other individuals were involved.

The developments highlight the growing challenges facing examination authorities, including impersonation, suspected organised cheating, collusion and resistance to monitoring operations.

Speaking during a monitoring tour of State House Girls Senior School in Nairobi, Ogamba delivered a particularly stern message to those seeking to undermine the examinations, warning that surveillance and enforcement measures had been intensified.

"Big brother is watching," the CS warned, saying a dedicated team of DCI detectives had been assigned to work with KNEC to identify and apprehend individuals involved in examination malpractice.

Ogamba cautioned examination centre managers, supervisors and invigilators against colluding with candidates or outsiders to facilitate cheating, warning that anyone found culpable would be held accountable.

He said KNEC had strengthened the security of examination scripts through serialisation and anonymisation, making it easier to trace leaked examination papers and identify candidates involved in irregularities.

"It is now not possible to say this didn't come from this place because the script is serialised and anonymised and the photos are there. So, even the students themselves get to be known exactly who they are," he said.

The CS further warned that the presence of prohibited gadgets, including mobile phones, inside examination rooms pointed to possible failures by officials responsible for supervising candidates.

"If somebody is found to have gone in with a phone, it means there's somebody who dropped the ball along the way," Ogamba said.