Tough rules to curb leaks as KCPE starts

In Pokot Central, eight pupils from Annet primary school were among 13 people who died when a temporary house where they were studying collapsed following mudslides on Friday night.

Mr Wasanga exuded confidence that the testing agency had finally put “rumours of exam leaks” to an end. “We have many security features, most of which I cannot share with you,” he said in a telephone interview.

Mr Wasanga said the council was always looking ahead to explore new measures that could help beat cheats and other people seeking to illegally access exam materials ahead of the examinations.

“We put serial numbers to some (test) papers, while we do not do so for others,” he said. He said many innocent people were still falling prey to unscrupulous businesspeople masquerading as sellers of examination.

“We are always on the lookout to protect our candidates,” said Mr Wasanga, whose organisation has been on the spot following allegations of leaks in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE).

“We are doing everything we can to ensure that we have exam features that cannot be detected by cheats,” he said. At the start of the Form Four exams, there had been numerous claims that some people were selling exam papers.

Six suspects were charged in a Malindi court for gaining access to a math paper last month. About 305,000 candidates have been sitting the KCSE exams which started on October 21 in 5,183 schools countrywide.

In contrast, KCPE exams will be held in 20,290 primary schools. There are 837 distribution centres where the examination papers are stored.

Some 25,083 supervisors, 5,1445 invigilators and 17,902 security officers have been hired to administer the exams. Although the KCPE candidates will be rehearsing on Monday, the examinations begin on Tuesday.