Politics holds back appointment of new examinations chief
Kenya National Examination Council CEO Joseph Kivilu, who has confirmed being in possession of certificates belonging to former students of a Nyeri day school but has insisted that a fine imposed by the exam body must be paid before they are released. FILE PHOTO | EVANS HABIL | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- Acting Kenya National Examination Council CEO Dr Joseph Kivilu, who took over from Mr Paul Wasanga, does not have sufficient authority to implement some decisions and policies in his acting role.
- The successful candidate will be hired on a five-year renewable contract, following a new law that was passed last year, which states that the CEO will hold office for one term subject to renewal for a further one term after consultation with the Salaries and Remuneration Commission.
- Knec, on its part, invited applications for the position of chief executive officer in early April. Mr Wasanga a former Kenyatta University lecturer had served for almost a decade from March 2005, when he replaced Juma Mwachichi.
A total of 485,547 candidates will sit the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Examination (KCSE) on Tuesday, with the national examining body devoid of a substantive CEO, a situation education stake holders say may jeopardise the examination exercise.
Acting Kenya National Examination Council CEO Dr Joseph Kivilu, who took over from Mr Paul Wasanga, does not have sufficient authority to implement some decisions and policies in his acting role.
The three people whose names have been passed on to Education Cabinet Secretary Prof Kaimenyi for appointment include the acting CEO himself, Dr Joel Mabonga and Dr Diana Mwinzi. Dr Mabonga has been a Chief Examinations Manager at The Kenya Institute of Management and holds a Master of Philosophy (Educational Administration).
Prof Kaimenyi, who has acknowledged receiving the names, is on record saying that he “will make the appointment soon”.
However, sources privy to the recruitment told the Sunday Nation that the position has be highly politicised, with URP partners in the Jubilee coalition pushing to have one of their own appointed to head the institution.
According to the sources, it this politics that has delayed the appointment.
SPIKE IN CHEATING
The successful candidate will be hired on a five-year renewable contract, following a new law that was passed last year, which states that the CEO will hold office for one term subject to renewal for a further one term after consultation with the Salaries and Remuneration Commission.
Kenya National Union of Teachers secretary general Wilson Sossion has accused the minister of being “ineffective” by failing to appoint the examinations body boss.
With the sensitivity of examinations which have previously been marred by cheating, teachers’ unions, parents’ associations and other education stake holders have questioned why the Education CS is dragging his feet in appointing a substantive chief executive officer despite receiving the short list.
The role of the Council’s CEO includes implementing the exams body’s decisions, managing examinations and providing leadership, according to requirements of the Knec Act, 2012.
Already, the acting CEO has issued an alert following reports that there are “fake” examination papers being sold to schools and students in various parts of the country. Knec says intelligence reports show there are exam papers on sale in Nairobi, Nyanza, Mombasa and Garissa, ahead of the examinations.
Following a spike in cases of cheating in recent years, Mr Wasanga had proposed two-year ban from sitting exams for candidates found cheating, which was later relaxed to cancellation of results.
In his acting capacity, it is not clear whether Dr Kivilu can make radical proposals to curb exam malpractice.
“Exams must be kept air-tight, the Cabinet Secretary owes the candidates who are sitting this year’s national examination the assurance that he has the situation under control, but if anything is to happen because the CS did not appoint a CEO on time, then we will hold him personally accountable, and demand complete nullification of the examination,” Kenya National Parents and Teachers Association chair Nathan Barasa said in an interview.
HIDDEN AGENDA
Teachers’ unions have accused the minister of having a hidden agenda in the appointments. “The minister has interest in the post, and this is paralysing operations at the council,” Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers Union chairman Omboko Milemba said.
Knec, on its part, invited applications for the position of chief executive officer in early April. Mr Wasanga a former Kenyatta University lecturer had served for almost a decade from March 2005, when he replaced Juma Mwachichi.
Wasanga’s career was chequered with the examination results of 2007 candidates getting mixed up and about 40,000 students initially being given higher grades, before they were revised downwards causing an uproar from the public. In his tenure, he launched a website that enabled students to check results online.
Once appointed, the new Knec boss will double up as the council’s Secretary.
