MPs blame exam leaks on refugees

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By JULIUS SIGEI jsigei@ke.nationmedia.com 
Posted  Friday, August 31  2012 at  23:30

IN SUMMARY

• House team also accuses Knec of not working with detectives to lock out cheats, despite warnings

The influx of refugees from Somalia has been blamed for the massive irregularities that led to the cancellation of results for 1,694 students in last year’s Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examination.

The departmental committee on Education, Research and Technology report released on Thursday evening reveals how corrupt supervisors, unscrupulous business people and collusion between teachers and students contributed to the leakages in Garissa, Wajir and Mandera counties.

North Eastern Provincial Commissioner James ole Seriani told the David Koech-led committee that the history of exam irregularities started in the province with the coming of refugees who enrolled for the examinations to get certificates to use in getting ID cards.

“Refugees registered for exams but did not attend classes and owing to their unpreparedness, resorted to engaging in exam irregularities; the habit gradually spread to neighbouring areas,” Mr Seriani told the committee.

The committee accuses the Kenya National Examinations Council (Knec) of not working with the National Security Intelligence Service despite the agency being privy to the leakage.

“The Ministry of Education did not request the services of the agency ….despite the NSIS having given recommendations to the ministry and Knec in the 2010 examinations.”

Knec chief  Paul Wasanga said supervisors and invigilators in the three counties had been threatened for reporting exam irregularities.

In 1998, a teacher in Garissa High School, Mr Samuel King’ori, was killed for reporting malpractices to Knec.