The Ministry of Education has recorded 621 examination malpractices at the conclusion of the 2024 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination.

Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba made the announcement on Friday, saying that the cases currently under investigation were reported across 198 examination centres out of the 10,754 centres countrywide.

CS Ogamba revealed that the cases included candidates or supervisors being caught with unauthorised materials, such as mobile phones and written materials, collisions, and impersonation.

“During the administration of the 2024 KCSE examination, 621 candidates out of 965,501, representing 0.064%, were reported to have been found engaging in examination malpractices, mainly being found with unauthorized written materials, mobile phones, collusion, sharing images of their question papers on social media, and impersonation,” he said.

“These cases were reported from 198 out of the 10,754 examination centres, representing 1.841% of the examination centres. All above cases are under active investigation, and stern action will be taken on individuals found culpable of exam malpractice.”

He noted that the government had contracted 32,800 examiners this year, up from 29,876 in 2023, to ensure timely and accurate marking, adding that the marking of the KPSEA exams has already been completed.

While commending all the examination stakeholders for ensuring a seamless process, the CS noted that 28 candidates undertook examinations in hospitals and even incidences of deaths were also reported.

Since the beginning of KCSE early this month, cases of exam cheating have been reported nationwide as the affected candidates, teachers, supervisors and managers arrested.  

In Nakuru, a graduate identified as 23-year-old Collins Kipchumba Kemboi was arrested selling KCSE exam papers online.

Five people, including a candidate from Baringo County, were arrested the same month after they were caught engaging in malpractice during the ongoing KCSE examinations.

Elsewhere, 19 teachers attached to Kebabe SDA Secondary School in Kisii County including the centre manager recorded statements with the police after 34 mobile phones containing questions and answers to the exams were found within the school compound. They were later suspended.

In Siaya, 13 teachers were arrested and arraigned on allegations of exam malpractice at Nyamninia Secondary School and later released on a Ksh.100,000 bond with a surety of a similar amount or an alternative cash bail of Ksh.20,000.

At the beginning of KCSE, an exam supervisor was detained at Marsabit Police Station on suspicion of possessing copies of KCSE exam papers as another 10 teachers from Pala Masogo Secondary School in Homa Bay County were slapped with a Ksh.2 million bond each and a surety of a similar amount following charges of examination malpractice.