Exam malpractice cases: Court grants bail to teachers, students in Nyamira, Migori

A centre manager collects KCSE examination papers.

Photo credit: Joseph Kanyi | Nation Media Group

Five teachers from St Mary's Mabera Girls High School in Migori who were arrested on Wednesday over allegations of examination malpractice were granted bail on Thursday.

Kehancha Law Courts released the teachers on cash bail of Sh10,000 each.

According to the prosecution, the teachers' mobile phones are still being examined to gather evidence to incriminate the tutors.

Speaking on Wednesday, Migori County Commissioner David Gitonga, County Director of Education Jacob Oyiengo and county Directorate of Criminal Investigations officer Richard Cheruiyot said the teachers were arrested while allegedly preparing answers to a chemistry paper in church building next to the school.

The team that conducted this year's Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education exams in Migori said the principal of St Mary's Mabera and the exam supervisor had been questioned.

Also questioned were the 14 invigilators posted to the institution.

The supervisor and the invigilators were immediately replaced.

Elsewhere in Nyamira County, two students from Nyambaria Boys High School were questioned and released on Sh10,000 bail each.

According to Nyamira County DCIO Paul Makonge, "the two students were caught with an examination paper in a classroom at their school."

A student at Sironga Girls High School was also questioned over allegations of cheating.

The student was allegedly found cheating in a toilet at the school.

On Thursday, police were still pursuing a teacher at Gekomoni Secondary School whose mobile phone was reportedly found with a photo of an exam paper allegedly used to facilitate cheating.

Mr Makonge said: "The examination material seized in Nyambaria was similar to that seized in Sironga, St Paul's Gekano and Gekomoni, all in Nyamira County."