Dismay as exam results cancelled

Kisumu Boys High School students under supervision in the exam hall during a KCSE examination. In Kisii, a total of 294 students had their results cancelled over irregularities, following the announcement of the 2015 KCSE results. PHOTO | JACOB OWITI | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Some 66 candidates from St Paul’s Omonayo received a “Y” for alleged irregularities in the Chemistry practicals exam.
  • Getembe Secondary School also suffered the same fate when 43 out of 89 candidates failed to get a result for the Mathematics paper.

Several schools in Kisii and Bomet counties were affected by cases of cheating in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination results.

In Kisii, some of the schools affected included St Paul’s Omonayo in Borabu Sub-County and Nyamira, Ibacho Secondary School, Gesicho and Nyanturago secondary schools.

Some 66 candidates from St Paul’s Omonayo received a “Y” for alleged irregularities in the Chemistry practicals exam.

Principal Lawrence Maranga expressed surprise at the news that plunged his school into mourning, saying he had not been notified of any illegal activities during the exam.

“When we did the exams, there were no irregularities we noted as staff.

“The invigilators did not catch any student sneaking into the exam room with prohibited materials. Neither did they inform us of any other unusual behaviour indicating possible cheating among the candidates,” he told the Nation.

The school is situated in Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i’s Borabu home sub-county in Nyamira County.

Getembe Secondary School also suffered the same fate when 43 out of 89 candidates failed to get a result for the Mathematics paper.

Principal Mr Oroni Omwoyo said some of his candidates had confessed to having seen a copy of the paper prior to sitting the exam.

“We are devastated by the news because some of our best students are affected,” he said.

CONCERNED LEADERS
Ibacho Secondary School reportedly had its students’ results cancelled in the Agriculture paper.

At Nyanturago, results for 70 students were reportedly cancelled in the Business Studies paper.

A total of 294 students in Kisii had their results cancelled following the announcement of the 2015 KCSE results.

Schools countrywide breathed a sigh of relief after Dr Matiang’i announced that the ministry would punish individual candidates for the cheating offence as opposed to entire examination centres.

This means that students not caught cheating in the affected centres still received their exam results.

In Bomet, leaders and professionals expressed concern over the high number of candidates whose results were cancelled.

County Education executive Rachel Ng’eno said the candidates should not be punished. And she challenged Kenya National Examinations Council to tell Kenyans how the irregularities were committed.

Kenya Publishers Association Vice Chairman Simon Sossion regretted that Bomet earned a dubious distinction of being the second county in the country after Makueni with the highest number of candidates whose exam results were cancelled.