Machogu to face MPs over KCPE results errors

Education CS Ezekiel Machogu releases KCPE results at Mitihani House in Nairobi on November 23, 2023. [Denish Ochieng, Standard]

Education CS Ezekiel Machogu is expected to appear before Members of Parliament on Thursday to explain the inconsistencies in the 2023 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) results.

Kenya National Examination Council (Knec) Chief Executive Officer David Njengere will also face the National Assembly Education Committee to shed light on the KCPE results.

The House team is looking into the discrepancies during this year's KCPE results such as cases where some schools had similar marks whereas others missed marks.

"We have directed the Cabinet Secretary and Knec officials to appear before this committee to give intricate details on what happened. From our own assessment, the situation is worse compared to last year when there was also similar confusion," said Committee chair Julius Melly.

"It's quite unfortunate that despite the extensive probe into the KCPE results of last year, we are still faced by this saddening development. We are however keen on ensuring that it is resolved," he added.

During yesterday's plenary sitting, Manyatta MP Gitonga Mukunji sought to have the House discuss the matter and filed an adjournment motion to that effect.

In his motion, he reiterated that pupils were being discriminated against and there was a need for the legislators to address the same once and for all.

The dispute over the KCPE results is currently in court with parents from two institutions seeking to block Form One selection.

Two parents whose children were candidates at Kitengela International School and Set Greenhill Academy Mixed Day and Boarding and Junior School in their case filed on Monday questioned how Knec marked KCPE and graded their children.

They accused Knec of giving the students poor scores, claiming this was a first for the learning institutions and the children.

The court papers read that Kitengela International had the majority of the learners scoring 400 marks and above in school exams. However, the national exams indicated that the KCPE candidates managed 358 marks and below.

Kitengela International has written to Knec, lamenting that the results were not a true reflection of what the candidates had been scoring.

Several parents from across the country have also expressed dissatisfaction with the results on November 23 and faulted KNEC for the irregularities.

Knec had earlier admitted to the irregularities and revealed that it had received appeals over errors in results obtained through the shortcode 40054 that was provided by the Ministry of Education.

"It was brought to the attention of Knec that results for some candidates had a misalignment of the marks and grades in Kiswahili as they were placed at the Kenyan Sign Language," read a statement from Knec CEO David Njengere.