Global internet observer Netblocks has reported a restriction on Telegram as the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) begins today.
In a statement, Netblocks noted the restriction on Telegram on the day of the commencement of KCSE was not coincidental, revealing that they had established a pattern of internet censorship during the assessment period to prevent exam malpractices.
“Confirmed: Metrics show that messaging app Telegram has been restricted in Kenya as KCSE school exams are held,” it noted.
“This follows an established pattern of internet censorship measures intended to limit cheating on exam days,” Netblocks added.
Previously, Telegram has been highlighted as an avenue of facilitating exam cheating, with Telegram groups reportedly being used to sell or share exam papers online.
Fraudsters seeking to scam unsuspecting students, parents, and teachers have previously been reported to use Telegram to milk millions from them in the name of distributing exam papers.
An investigative piece done by NTV in 2024 revealed that the fraudsters charged different packages for different needs. For instance, one would have to part with Ksh3,500 for a single paper, with the amount going beyond Ksh18,000, for VIP access, which links one to all the papers up to the end of the examinations.
The reported outage came after the government had revealed it would conduct 24-hour surveillance on social media to stop exam leaks and fraud.
In an announcement made on Wednesday, October 29, Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo revealed that a multi-agency team had been established, adding that it would coordinate real-time response efforts and deter criminals intent on compromising the integrity of national examinations.
The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) had also raised alarm that perpetrators of exam malpractices were using WhatsApp and Telegram to leak the exams.
As per an exam monitoring report, KNEC noted that approximately 51 Telegram channels had been identified, but only 18 had been flagged. WhatsApp was another platform to leak the exams, as per the report.
In October, a set of new regulations that would be rolled out during the administration of the 2025 national examinations included the introduction of personalised examination papers for all KCSE candidates aimed at tightening security and enhancing accountability.
Another measure announced was the continued use of double collection of KCSE papers, where scripts for the second session are only released shortly before the scheduled exam, to prevent early exposure and leaks.
This year, at least 996,078 students will sit for the KCSE exams, which are set to run for approximately three weeks, ending on November 21.
