A Muslim location chief who prevented KCSE exam cheating set for promotion—CS Mugoha

NAIROBI—An unnamed Muslim administrator  who prevented a private candidate from cheating in national test could soon be promoted. 

The Cabinet Secretary for Education, Prof George Mugoha, while issuing a progress statement on this week’s Kenya Certificate of Secondary School (KCSE), said that the chief, who he did not name, demonstrated an act of commitment to his duty.

“That chief deserves a promotion,” Mugoha said while speaking at St. George’s Girls secondary in Nairobi on Friday, maintaining that bid to protect exam integrity is in high gear.

MOBILE PHONE

Prof Mogoha cited use of mobile phones in exam rooms as a major facilitating factor in aiding the sharing of answers among candidates and teachers as a challenge.

The CS, who is overseeing the national exams for the first time, revealed that at least 50 phones used in cheating have been confiscated across the country.

In Nairobi, a student doing the exams as private candidate was caught with a phone held between his legs by a local chief. Mogoha said he will recommend the chief’s promotion.

“It took an intervention of a Muslim chief who discovered phones between the legs of students in a Nairobi centre,” he said.

Out of these phones, 35 have  been  recovered at an examination centre in Nairobi.

The CS said so far DCI detectives have managed to positively identify the owners of 24 out of the 35 phones.

Mogoha added that investigations have been launched to establish the owners of the remaining phones.

The CS similarly stated that the cartels have been using new tactics in exam malpractice citing cases in which a candidate was found with a phone in his private parts and impersonation of candidates.