Education Cabinet Secretary, CS, Amb. Amina Mohammed and her Interior counter-part, Dr. Fred Matiang’i, have today lead a top officials’ meeting to lay down final preparations for this year’s Kenya Certificate of Primary Education, KCPE, and Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education, KCSE, exams that begin in less than a fortnight’s time. During today’s meeting, security officials were given keys to the metallic containers where exam materials are to be kept.
Speaking at the function, Education CS, Amina, said that “the containers will have a double locking system. The Sub-County Directors of Education (SCDE) and the Deputy County Commissioners will each have the keys to secure and ensure they open and close the containers every day during the examination process.” Amina also noted that 30 examination centres had been placed under high surveillance and 192 others under amplified surveillance based on reported examination malpractice trends from 2015 to 2017.
The meeting which was held at he Kenya School of Government in Kabete, Kiambu County, saw the attendance of top government officials including: The Education CS, Amina Mohammed, Interior CS, Fred Matiang’i, Education PS, ICT CS, Mucheru, Belio Kipsang, and KNEC chair, Prof. George Magoha among others. The Education CS issued padlocks and keys for 459 examination containers to Deputy County Commissioners and the Sub-County Directors of Education.
Speaking at the same event, Education Ministry Principal Secretary, Dr. Belio Kipsang, announced that the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) will recall certificates of parents and teachers found aiding in examination cheating.
While giving elaborate measures put to safeguard the examination materials, Amina pronounced that 224 security officers will escort the examination materials from the, Kenya National Examinations Council, KNEC, warehouse to the examination storage facilities, after which they will be handed over to the sub-county Directors of Education and Deputy County Commissioners.
“All question papers will be escorted by armed security officers every day of the examination from collection to return of the answer scripts to the container and back to KNEC. We have identified several examination cartels that have been behind the sale of fake papers to unsuspecting parents and candidates. I will engage my colleagues at the Ministry of Interior, National Treasury, the Attorney General and the Director of Public Prosecutions to determine forensic means to deal with the proceeds accrued from this illegal exercise,” Amb. Amina added.
Addressing the meeting, today, Interior Cabinet Secretary, Dr. Fred Matatiang’i reiterated the ministry’s resolve to provide adequate security during the examination period and that he had recalled all officers on leave. ”We assure the CS Education of our hundred percent support. Nobody will be on leave at the Ministry of Interior until 30th November, 2018. All children will sit for examinations wherever they are and areas troubled by insecurity will be under 24/7 surveillance,” Matiang’i said.
ICT CS, Mucheru, said his ministry will provide software security to reinforce other mechanisms put in place to safeguard the processes (Examination). CS Mucheru said that the ICT Ministry will provide accurate, reliable and timely technology. He also promised to deploy more than 300 staff members to the MOE to ensure that the examination will be conducted in an irregularity free environment.
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