Existing exam rules need amendment says Mutula

Written By:Carol Gakii,    Posted: Wed, Mar 28, 2012

Mutula says currently the council does not have powers to punish any examination officers found guilty of abetting in cheating Newly appointed education minister Mutula Kilonzo says there is need to amend the laws governing the Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) to curb examination cheating. The minister says currently the council does not have powers to punish any examination officers found guilty of abetting in cheating. Mutula noted that the existing laws state that KNEC can only recommend such cases to the Teachers' Service Commission for action. He was speaking when he appeared before the Parliamentary Committee on Education probing the cancellation of results for over 1600 candidates in North Eastern province who sat for last year's Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education. KNEC Chief Executive Officer Paul Wasanga concurred with the minister but defended his council over claims that its credibility was questionable. The committee chair Mosop MP David Koech noted that the education sector has been facing myriad of problems in the past and expressed the need to address the issues to ensure quality education. He said the problems included teacher shortage and delayed disbursement of funds. Meanwhile, immediate former Tourism minister Najib Balala has accused Prime Minister Raila Odinga of betraying him, the Muslim community and the country. Balala says Raila cannot be trusted having breached the Memorandum of Understanding he signed with the Muslim community in 2007. Speaking at his residence in Kileleshwa, Balala handed over the MOU to National Muslim Leaders Forum - NAMLEF chair Abdullahi Abdi saying Muslims were misled to believe that Raila was a reformer. Balala noted that he lost his ministerial position despite his best performance because of his principles on matters of national interest.  He claimed that there is no democracy in the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) advising Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi to seek a different avenue if he wants to clinch the presidency. Balala said he is making extensive consultation with various stakeholders including the Muslim community before announcing the political party he will join in the next general election. However, in a quick rejoinder Raila who was speaking in Mombasa said the decision to drop Balala from the cabinet was long overdue since he had forsaken ODM's ideologies.  Raila clarified that he has nothing personal against the Mvita legislator.