Why examiner won’t open Pandora’s box
Audrey Mbugua sued the Kenya National Examinations Council for refusing to effect the changes and remove the male gender mark on her examination result certificates on grounds that it was rendering her unemployable. PHOTO | PAUL WAWERU | FILE
What you need to know:
- Ms Mbugua sued the council for refusing to effect the changes and remove the male gender mark on her examination result certificates
The Kenya National Examinations Council has asked a court to dismiss a petition filed by a transgender woman seeking to change the names in her certificates.
Knec says that the superficial change of names on documents as sought may open a Pandora’s box “whereby millions of candidates dating back as far as 1929 may be encouraged to make similar applications and make it impossible for the council to authenticate certificates produced to potential employers and educational institutions.”
Ms Mbugua sued the council for refusing to effect the changes and remove the male gender mark on her examination result certificates on grounds that it was rendering her unemployable.
She has termed Knec’s refusal as discriminatory and unconstitutional.
But Knec says Ms Mbugua sat the national primary and secondary examinations as a male and was issued with the respective results and certificates.
The applicant has separately sued the NGO Council for refusing to register the Transgender Education and Advocacy group despite having fulfilled all the requirements. Both cases will be determined in mid-June.
