Popular Principal Caught With Ksh. 300,000 in School Dismisses Cheating Allegations
Mystery surrounds the recovery of Sh300,000 from a Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) centre manager in Garissa yesterday, sparking fears of a plot to compromise the exams.
The centre manager was caught carrying the huge amount of money which he could not account for as Form Four candidates prepared to sit their papers, prompting Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha to order for a thorough frisking of all officials and candidates involved in the exercise.
Prof Magoha, who was supervising the exercise in Murang’a county immediately ordered police officers to arrest those found with ‘unreasonable amounts of money’.
“Carrying large amounts of money to examination centres may mean one wants to compromise the administration of the exams. We were able to track some students who had unnecessary large amounts of money in their pockets for reasons best known to them,” Magoha said.
He said there is a possibility the money could be used to compromise the supervisors to aid in rigging the exams.
“If you are going to supervise the exam, there is no reason why you should be having like Sh200,000 in cash unless you have other fishy business,” said Magoha. The CS directed frisking of students taking the exam be vigorously conducted in order to close all possible exam malpractice loopholes.
The principal has however denied claims that that money was meant for bribing the supervisor to allow them access exams earlier.
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“I have directed the supervisors to thoroughly but gently frisk all the students under the watch of the security agents and if they are found to have money, it should be kept in the office until the exercise is complete and the student is going home,” he said.
“Yesterday as you are aware, we confiscated some phones which were being used to communicate to the people outside and it’s very easy to compromise the parties involved,” he added.
Despite the instances, Magoha said the quality of KCSE exams remains uncompromised. He said the government is leaving nothing to chance to ensure the integrity of the exam is upheld to the end.
The CS said the government will also have additional security measures in all the examination centres to minimise room for rigging the exams.
The CS said they are on the look out for centers which request for large print papers for their students saying some actually do not require them.
“This could be a plan by the centre managers to have extra papers for them to leak the exams but we shall catch up with you. If there is anybody who has taken money in exchange of getting the exam they should give it back because there will be no room to get this leakage,” he said.
He called on examination centre managers to uphold professionalism as they carry out their mandate. “The government is committed to ensuring a credible examination. Any unruly behaviour on the side of examination managers will be met with the full force of the law.”
