A Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) candidate dissatisfied with the recently released results has demanded her papers remarked.
Speaking to the press on Monday in the company of her colleagues from a school in Kitengela, the candidate called out Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu over irregularities that rocked the national examinations marking process.
She further revealed that some of the students aggrieved by the results were sliding into depression due to fears of missing their preferred high schools.
"I would like to ask the government, 'Are you taxing our marks or what because if the ballot papers can be recounted, why not our marks?' I repeat, if the ballot papers can be recounted, why not our marks?" She questioned.
"The Cabinet Secretary for Education Professor Machogu, I would ask you to please remark on our papers," the candidate, who was accompanied by parents stated.
Lawyer Danstan Omari also disclosed that three lawsuits were filed against the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC).
One of the lawsuits asked the court to bar the government from relying on the results to place the candidates in high schools.
"KNEC, by law, has 90 days to make a decision. If the review was done on Friday on the application for appeal, the examination council will release the decision around March. Selection started today. These kids will not be among the students considered to be placed among the national schools or those of their choice," stated Omari.
"An attack on vulnerable children who are defenceless, who cannot raise a voice, then that country has lost its moral campus," Omari cautioned.
The Education CS released the results on Thursday, indicating that the top candidate scored 428 marks.
According to Machogu, over 1.4 million students sat for the national examinations that began on November 30, with the government assuring them of enough slots in high schools.
A day later, however, KNEC admitted releasing results with errors, including candidates scoring similar grades in select subjects.
Specifically, the council revealed that 133 candidates were given low marks in some of the subjects, including English and Kiswahili.
"These cases have all been addressed and results for the affected candidates updated appropriately," it clarified.
