This archive report was first published on 8 November 2019.
Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha has been closely monitoring the national Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams since they began on Monday, November 4, 2019.
Speaking at St. George's Girls secondary in Nairobi on Friday, November 8, 2019, Magoha said cases of candidates using mobile phones to cheat have increased, especially in Nairobi county.
Magoha noted that a total of 35 phones were seized from one centre in Nairobi during the crackdown, with the majority of the culprits being private candidates.
He praised a female chief who helped retrieve phones from candidates' thighs during the crackdown, saying he was personally impressed by her bold step.
"In Nairobi here, it is the chief who was bold enough to recover the phones from between the legs of the learners...I want to thank her and assured her that I will intercede on her behalf so that she can be considered for promotion with the president's permission," Magoha said.
Magoha further warned of dire disciplinary action against teachers, students, and education officers who would be found cheating or abetting examination malpractices.
He cited Kisii, Migori, Homa Bay, and Wajir as major hotspots which his team will closely be monitoring to intercept in an attempt to cheat.
