Ten teachers from Pala Masogo Secondary School in Homa Bay County have been charged with examination malpractice in the ongoing 2024 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams.
On Wednesday, they appeared before Homa Bay Senior Resident Magistrate Christine Auka, where they denied three counts of fraud-related exam offenses.
The accused, including the center manager, were each granted a bond of sh.2 million or an alternative cash bail of Ksh.1 million.
Magistrate Auka also directed that a summons be issued to the investigating officer to address concerns raised by the defense about the timing of the arrests.
The case will be mentioned again on November 20, 2024, for the setting of a pretrial date.
The teachers were arrested after they were caught photocopying the 2024 KCSE Chemistry paper.
The charges against them have raised concerns about examination integrity as the national exams continue.
Meanwhile, the third day of the KCSE exams was also marred by irregularities at Membley High School in Kiambu, where two candidates were found in possession of unauthorized materials inside the exam hall.
Ruiru District Commissioner Julius Too confirmed that the two students were caught with mobile phones just before beginning their exam.
However, he clarified that they had not yet used the phones when caught.
“They will continue with their exams.
We have allowed them to sit for the exam, but the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) will take further action, and the police are also investigating.
I assure you that the exam has not leaked,” said Ruiru DCIO Jeremiah Ndumbai.
Elsewhere in the country, some candidates faced unusual circumstances as they were allowed to sit their exams from hospital beds.
In Laikipia County, the maternity wing of Nyahururu County Hospital was temporarily converted into an examination hall to accommodate candidates who were unwell.
One candidate, who had delivered her baby on Tuesday, was allowed to write her papers from the ward.
Another candidate, who lives over 25 kilometers away from the exam center, appealed to the relevant authorities to allow her to take her exams in the hospital to avoid the daily strain of traveling long distances.
The candidate shared, “I wake up early to go to the Deputy Commissioner’s office, hoping they’ll allow me to go with them to school.
I have no other means of transport. The journey is very challenging, especially since I just gave birth and am still recovering.”
Her mother added, “Please help her write her exams at the hospital, as traveling is very difficult for her. She has to travel for hours, and her baby is still in the nursery.”
In Kericho, three candidates from Kaplong also wrote their exams in the hospital, underscoring the challenges some students face during the national exams.
As the KCSE exams continue, authorities are committed to ensuring the integrity of the process while also accommodating candidates facing exceptional circumstances.
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