Education CS Machogu dismiss cheating allegations in 2022 KCSE exams
Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu has dismissed allegations that the 2022 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCSE) was marred with irregularities as most education experts raised credibility questions on the number of high grades produced by most schools.
Speaking while launching the textbook distribution for Grade Seven learners, Machogu defended the results stating that the allegations are mere propaganda.
“I have seen misrepresentation and incorrect information. People have said that we produced so many As that almost every candidate had the grade. That is propaganda,” Machogu said.
He said that there was only a two percent improvement from 17.49 to 19.03 in the number of students who qualified for direct entry to university.
“There is no major change in performance compared to the last two years that warrants the outcry. The number of Kenyans who transition to university compared to global figures of 30 percent is still lower,” he stated.
The sterling performances by Nyambaria High School and Mobimba High school both in Nyamira county drew mixed reactions from the public after all candidates got direct entry into university grades.
For instance, Nyambaria High had all its 488 candidates securing admissions into university while Mobimba High school had 388 candidates.
In the 2021 exams, Nyambaria posted a mean score of 9.30 and hit the 10.897-mark last year.
Mobimba High on the other hand had a mean score of 5.11 in 2021, and raised to 9.28 in last year’s exam.
The CS attributed the extraordinary performances shown by Nyambaria High to the school principal, Boaz Owino who was transferred from Maranda High.
“It is not a miracle, but a case of exemplary leadership,” he noted.
Machogu insisted that the Ministry of Education, in conjunction with the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC), ran a credible process that should not be stained by unfounded claims.
“I want to make it clear that when we were briefing the categories and I went to various counties with meetings and all those concerned with the administration of exams, I did that because I want us to have an exam where integrity has not been compromised. I have seen a lot of misrepresentation and a lot of people coming up with information that is not true,” he stated.
He insisted that no candidate can be denied the grade they earned.
