Knec board sacked as executives linked to exam cheating

 

From left, Education secretary Fred Matiang’i and his Interior counterpart Joseph Nkaissery at Jogoo House, Nairobi. PHOTO | ANTHONY OMUYA 

By MARYANNE GICOBI and OUMA WANZALA

In Summary

• Preliminary investigations had revealed complicity, irregularities and illegitimate activities within and outside the council.

Executives of the Kenya National Examination Council (Knec), including three linked to the ‘Chickengate’ scam, have been implicated in last year’s exam cheating in a revelation that has also seen the agency’s board sacked and some managers arrested.

Education secretary Fred Matiang’i and his Interior counterpart Joseph Nkaissery on Thursday said preliminary investigations had revealed complicity, irregularities and illegitimate activities within and outside the council.

Mr Nkaissery ordered the arrest of Knec top management led its chief executive officer, Joseph Kivilu and eight other senior officers over examination irregularities.

“We have decided that, we want to restore credibility and reduce crime in examination, and have discussed with IG that those involved be arrested immediately and record statement. Those arrested should show course why legal action should not be taken against them,” said Mr Nkaissery.

The eight include Bobby Nyagah Mwai –seniors deputy secretary, Michael Ndua (principal supply chain management officer) and Geoffrey Gitogo, the council’s ICT manager.

They were named as individuals who pocketed bribes — codenamed ‘chicken’- from a UK-based firm in return for contracts to print materials for Knec.

The two Cabinet secretaries said the officers were also involved in examination irregularities that saw the results of about 2,709 primary and 5,100 high school candidates cancelled in 2015.

“Some of the officers at the council are under investigations over examination printing scam known as ‘Chickengate’. Surely we cannot allow the institution such as important as this to be run that way,” said Mr Matiang’i.

READ: Knec starts probe into ‘chicken’ scam against top officials

Other executives linked to exam cheating are Ms Ambia G. Noor – senior deputy secretary (examination), Maundu Mantenzawa-deputy secretary (security), Thomas MacKenzie –principal examinations secretary, Ms Sarah Majani- senior deputy secretary (reprographics) and Richard Mwangangi-deputy secretary.

The decision was a culmination of an investigation ordered by President Uhuru Kenyatta earlier this month following massive cheating in national examinations last year.

Former University of Nairobi Vice-Chancellor Prof George Magoha was appointed as the Knec chairman to replace Prof Kabiru Kinyanjui.
All senior Knec staff will be vetted by the new board to determine their suitability to continue holding their offices.

Prof Magoha was directed to re-engineer the operations of the council and also enhance the integrity of the national examination processes.

A total of 171 people were arrested and charged in court for committing various offences related to the examination, cases Mr Matiang’i said were still ongoing.

Those arrested include 11 school principals and deputy principals, 34 teachers from public schools, 22 university and college students, 104 Kenya Secondary Certificate Examination candidates, two police officers and one Teacher Service Commission secretariat employee.