Anxiety grips schools over missing KCSE results

Candidates in close to 50 schools will have to wait until the end of January to know their fate after Kenya National Examinations Council (Knec) withheld their Form Four results.

Among the schools whose results have been withheld are Komotobo Secondary School in Kuria East, Nyabisawa Girls School in Suna West and Ageng’a School in Nyatike.

Others are Emesa (Bomachoge Borabu) and Monianku in Gucha South. At Mokubo Secondary School in Bomachoge Chache, a candidate had her results cancelled.

The results for 226 candidates of Kapkenda Girls Secondary School students in Elgeyo-Marakwet County have also been withheld. Hundreds of candidates are affected but some schools declined to comment, fearing bad publicity.

When she released the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination results on Friday, Education Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed said some schools’ results had been withheld.

FINALISE INVESTIGATIONS

“These centres will be notified of the decision soon. In the meantime, Knec will finalise investigations into suspected malpractices and release a report on or before January 31,” she said.

“I wish to assure the nation, the affected candidates and their parents that due diligence will be undertaken to ensure that no one is unfairly penalised.”

At Kapkenda Girls School, one of the best performers in Elgeyo-Marakwet, the gate has remained closed since Friday.

Efforts by anxious parents and students to reach the school yesterday were thwarted by security guards, who maintained that they were under instructions not to let anybody in until the management gets information about the results. Principal Jemima Sambai confirmed that the students had not received their results.

“The only SMS response we get after sending a message is ‘W’,” the headteacher said.

BE PATIENT

Mrs Sambai told the students to be patient as she waits to hear from the Education ministry and the Knec.

“I don’t know what is happening. When we spoke to officials at the ministry on Friday, we were told to wait,” she added.

Parents, teachers and students of Komotobo Secondary School were anxious upon realising that the KCSE exam results had been withheld.

Kamotobo is one of the schools that has been on the Knec radar over claims of examination malpractices.

As the tests were being administered, several Knec and county education officials monitored the institution closely.

"I kept sending messages to Knec for the results only to learn later that they have been withheld," a teacher said.

Parents, teachers and local residents expressed hope that their children would get their results.

Reporting by Ouma Wanzala, Vivere Nandiemo , Magati Obebo and Titus Ominde.