A classified report by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has unearthed how national examinations in Kenya have been compromised for years.
The revelations in the DCI report point at a cartel that has existed for many years, involving school principals and a section of the police who facilitate exam leaks.
According to detectives, the cartel is run by five top officials at the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) who hand papers to accomplices after parting with colossal amounts of money.
It is said that the examination papers are leaked way in advance to allow students peruse over them before the date of sitting.
The report seen by the Standard, identifies the five KNEC officials as A,B,C,D,E, who have sufficient influence that could see papers reset then sold for millions of shillings in the past.
The DCI states that in 2013, Mathematics paper was leaked after an individual allegedly working under KNEC officer B, tore a carton carrying the exam that is usually printed in the United Kingdom.
Investigating officers further indicate that in response to the malicious act, KNEC contracted a private company based on Likoni Road to print fresh exam papers. At the company owned by an Asian, employees went ahead and leaked the new papers.
Also in the explosive documents, promotions at the examination body were marred by nepotism as relatives of a former CEO and other top officers illegally scaled up the ranks.
The DCI revelations come a few days after Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i disbanded the KNEC board following massive exam irregularities during the 2015 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE).
Former Nairobi University Vice Chancellor, Prof George Magoha was appointed the new chairman of the board with immediate effect.
Matiang'i is on record saying that the dissolution of the board is the beginning of major reforms to be undertaken at the examination body, in a bid to curb the cheating menace.
While releasing the KCSE results early in the year, the Cabinet Secretary announced cancellation of over 5000 candidates' exam outcome due to dishonesty.
