23 teachers arrested, 3 principals suspended over KCSE exam cheating

Some of the teachers were arrested in a church in Migori while working on a Chemistry paper with the intention of sharing the questions and answers with students of St. Mary's Mabera Girls High School.

At the same time, three principals in Nyamira County, who also act as Exam Centre Managers in the ongoing KCSE exams have been suspended for attempted exam cheating, among them is the principal of Nyambaria High School, the best-performing school in last year’s examinations.

The suspects include Zachariah Samwel, Zablon Chacha, Charles Maroa, Chacha Peter, Madam Triza and Vincent Onyage, who were Wednesday arrested while working on a chemistry paper in a church.

Also in custody are the school principal Mary Lucy Obondo and the supervisor Alper Macelina as 14 invigilators from the school were also arrested and replaced immediately.

In Nyamira County, little-known Nyambaria High School In Nyamira County which topped the 2022 KCSE exam with a 10.89 mean score is back in the headlines, this time, for the wrong reasons.

The suspension of its principal Charles Onyari by TSC, as the exam centre manager for participating in exam irregularities.

Reports from Nyamira County reveal that learners and staff from 4 schools recorded statements with the DCI Tuesday night on the allegations. 

The four schools include Nyambaria Boys, Sironga Girls, Gekomoni Secondary School and St. Paul Gekano Boys.

Two boys at Nyambaria were found with foreign material in the exam room as Sironga Girls High School Principal Eva Odhiambo and a student also recorded statements. 

It is alleged that the student was found in a toilet in possession of foreign material that she allegedly got from a guard manning the centre. The guard ran away, and police mounted a search but the principal went back to her duties as a centre manager.

A teacher's phone at Gekomoni Secondary School was impounded with photos of an exam paper. 

DCIO Paul Makonge says exam materials impounded at Nyambaria Boys, Sironga Girls, Gekomoni Secondary School and St. Paul Gekano Boys were carbon copies and may have originated from the same place.

“The same piece of paper we found in Sironga is the same piece of paper we found in Nyabaria and the same we found in Gekono meaning they are being manufactured in the same place,” Makonge said.

This follows a statement made by Basic Education PS Belio Kipsang earlier today in Mombasa that the government had interdicted some examination supervisors for attempted exam cheating. 

Those implicated in Nyamira are expected to appear in court while the students were released on a 10,000 shillings cash bail each.

In a private examination centre in the Nkubu area of Meru County a suspect was arrested for impersonating a candidate during the chemistry paper. Alex Mutuma Mutembei is alleged to have been sitting the exam on behalf of Thairora Gladys who sat in the exam room as Mutembei worked on her paper.