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Teacher, varsity student charged over possession of leaked exam
A KCSE exam distribution centre. In Murang'a, a teacher who was found in possession of exam papers on his phone has been charged in a Kangema court. PHOTO | GEORGE SAYAGIE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- He is also accused of forwarding the leaked exams on social media sites.
- Mr Wanjala teaches at Rwathia Girls Secondary School but was an invigilator at Kibutha Girls.
- He was released on a Sh50,000 bond or a cash bail of Sh30,000.
- The case will be mentioned on November 27 while the hearing has been set for January 8, 2018.
A teacher in Murang’a and a university student in Siaya have been charged with in possession of unauthorised KCSE examination materials.
The teacher from Rwathia Girls Secondary School in Kangema, Murang'a County was charged with being in possession of Kenya Certificate of Secondary Examination (KCSE) exam papers.
Mr Thaddeus Wanjala Makhoha is charged with being in possession of unauthorised examination papers of Mathematics paper 1 and assorted Chemistry questions on his mobile phone.
He is also accused of forwarding the leaked exams on social media sites.
Appearing before Kangema Senior Resident Magistrate Dennis Mungai Kivuti, Mr Wanjala denied the charges.
The accused was arrested on November 6 and arraigned in court on the same date but he did not take plea after a successful application by the prosecution who sought to be given four days to conclude investigations.
INVIGILATOR
Mr Wanjala teaches at Rwathia Girls Secondary School but was invigilating the exams at Kibutha Girls Secondary School.
After taking plea and denying the charges Friday, he was released on a Sh50,000 bond or a cash bail of Sh30,000.
The case will be mentioned on November 27 while the hearing has been set for January 8, 2018.
The offence attracts a jail term of 10 years or a Sh5 million fine.
President Uhuru Kenyatta this year assented to the National Examinations Council (Amendment) Bill, 2016 introducing the punitive measures proposed by the Ministry of Education to guarantee the veracity of the national examinations.
The new laws were meant to curb exam teaching while providing punitive measures to those found guilty of contravening the examination laws.
UNIVERSITY STUDENT
In Siaya, a university student, Moses Agot Owuor, was arraigned before Bondo Principal Magistrate Moses Obiero and charged with being in possession of unauthorised examination materials.
Mr Owuor pleaded not guilty of the offence and was remanded at the Bondo Police Station awaiting to appear in court on November 14.
He is believed to have sent the “leaked” examination material to Nyawita Mixed Secondary School Principal George Ogunde through WhatsApp on Wednesday.
Bondo Sub-County Director of Education Elisha Omala told journalist that the suspect sent images of Kiswahili language examination to the principal through WhatsApp.
TEXT MESSAGE
Mr Omala said that the suspect who also has a cousin sitting the ongoing examinations at the school, also sent a text message to the principal instructing him to share the materials with the candidate.
However, Mr Omala failed to disclose the university young man studies as they await police investigations to ascertain the source of the examination paper.
“The head teacher informed us of the suspicious message he received after the candidates sat for their Insha paper at around 10am on Wednesday,” Mr Omala said.
The suspect was arrested on Thursday.
Bondo OCPD Paul Kiarie said the principal lured the suspect to the school Thursday morning.
"With the help of the principal, we managed to arrest the student after accepting to meet him to discuss more about the paper," said Mr Kiarie.
