KUPPET presents explosive report highlighting cheating in 2022 KCSE exams

Doubts over the credibility of the 2022 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Examination (KCSE) results have been raised in a public hearing in Machakos County.

The National Assembly Departmental Committee on Education conducted the hearing to investigate alleged cheating during the 2022 exams.

During the hearing, the committee received an explosive report from the Kenya Union of Post Primary School Teachers (KUPPET) Machakos branch, claiming massive exam cheating.

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Moreover, the committee stated that the Ministry of Education and the Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) have been unable to manage exams effectively.

According to KUPPET Executive Secretary of Machakos Musembi Katuku, KNEC needs to deliver and manage exams effectively.

"It appears that KNEC has been unable to manage examinations effectively in this country and has left their work to the Ministry of Education and Teachers Service Commission (TSC)," he said.

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The union argued that schools should improve gradually, and their results should reflect a standard curve.

However, KUPPET claims several schools, including Rigoko Secondary School and St. Thomas Moore Riangombe Secondary School, had abnormal improvement curves.

For instance, Rigoko Secondary School had a mean score of 5.728 in 2021, but its 2022 KCSE results jumped to 9.0. KUPPET also highlighted that Nyambaria Boys High School, the top school nationally, had a mean score of 9.308 in the 2021 KCSE results but jumped to 10.897 in 2022.

Similarly, St. Gonzaga-Gonza Isoge Secondary School had all 85 students score between A- and B plain in the 2022 results.

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The union further claimed that KNEC failed in its mandate, as exam papers leaked before they arrived at the examination containers.

Moreover, examination materials were circulating online.

The committee investigating the matter maintained that the KCSE certificate had been placed too high, which could contribute to the cheating menace. J

Julius Meli, chair of the Education Committee, said that some people entrusted with exam management must do their jobs properly.

"The officers managing exams take it casually and do not report cases of examination cheating," he said.

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The committee will continue its fact-finding mission in Nyamira and Mombasa Counties.

It remains to be seen what further revelations will emerge and whether action will be taken to address the alleged cheating and restore confidence in the KCSE results.