16 fail to show up at KCSE exam centre on the radar for cheating

At least 16 people have gone missing at an examination centre in Kisii County where they were to sit for their papers, a day after 11 others were arrested for impersonation.

In what could turn out to be one of this year’s biggest KCSE scam, the individuals failed to turn up at the Inter-City Academy, Milimani Ramasha Centre, in Bomachoge Chache Constituency on Day Three of the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations.

The centre had 103 registered candidates from various schools.

On Tuesday, 11 people who posed as candidates, among them unemployed trained teachers, were arrested. The proprietor Charles Osoro was also arrested.

Other fake candidates escaped when they realised they had been found out by examination officials and police.

'ADVANCED' CHEATING

Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha described the case as an 'advanced type' of cheating.

Kisii County has been on the Kenya National Examinations Council’s (Knec) radar over cheating attempts.

They started by manipulating the Knec schedule, “which has photographs so that our people can see that the person sitting the exam is the real person,” said Prof Magoha.

He added: “They came with their own pictures together with their own people. It is by the grace of God we were able to note something was not right.”

Speaking at Kisumu Girls High School, Prof Magoha said they were investigating cases where schools were allowing strangers to sit the exams. Other exam cheating hot spots in the region include Homa Bay, Migori and Kisii.

On Wednesday, the CS, who was in Migori to supervise the examinations, said the Inter-City Academy centre could be shut down.

“We are still deliberating on the way forward about this centre but if need be, it will be closed,” said the CS.