National Assembly Departmental Committee on Education on Thursday, March 9, invited the public to give their views on examination malpractices in the 2022 KCSE test.
In a notice issued by Samuel Njoroge, the Clerk of the National Assembly, the Committee launched a public inquiry into the allegations of massive irregularities in the national test whose results were released on January 20, 2023.
As part of its investigations, the committee seeks to probe nine issues regarding the allegations. The Committee seeks to establish the trend and analyse a comparative analysis of the 2022 KCSE performance against those of the preceding years.
The second issue is whether there were incidences of examination malpractices in the 2022 KCSE examination. If there were any cases of cheating, who bore the responsibility for the malpractices.
In addition, the committee seeks to establish whether there were adequate measures taken by the Ministry of Education and Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) to curb cheating.
The Julius Melly-led committee will also establish the effectiveness of KNEC guidelines and rules in curbing examination malpractices and whether examination marking stations were adequately prepared with regard to the moderation process.
KNEC's Examination Management Officers who were deployed to schools across the country will be investigated to determine if they upheld integrity and effectiveness.
The committee will carry out a comprehensive audit of KNEC's Examination Management Systems including examination setting, printing, transportation, storage and marking.
The final issue to determine is whether there is a need to review the penalties for examination malpractices in order to enhance deterrence.
How to Apply
The committee will undertake public hearings in eleven counties including Nakuru, Nyeri, Eldoret, Embu, Kakamega, Machakos, Nyamira, Mombasa, Kisumu, Wajir and Nairobi.
Lawmakers invited the public to submit written memoranda and oral views on the specific terms of reference of the inquiry and other relevant issues.
The public hearing will be held from Monday, March 20, to Monday, March 27, and Kenyans will be invited to give their views depending on the schedule outlined by the National Assembly from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm.
The news came as a section of Kenyans raised concerns about alleged cheating during the 2022 KCSE test. Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu, however, dispelled the allegations and defended the results as credible.
“From where I sit, there was no cheating. This is propaganda started by people who do not have proper intentions for the country,” the CS stated on January 27, 2023.
