Education CS Julius Ogamba Reports on KCSE Exam Malpractice and Progress in Education Sector
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba has disclosed that 621 candidates in the 2024 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams were involved in malpractice. This figure represents 0.064% of the 965,501 candidates who sat for the exams.
Speaking on Friday, Ogamba stated that the irregularities included unauthorized written materials, use of mobile phones, collusion, sharing images of exam papers on social media, and impersonation. These incidents were reported in 198 out of the 10,754 examination centers, accounting for 1.841% of the centers.
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“All the cases are under active investigation, and action will be taken against individuals found guilty of these malpractices,” he affirmed. Ogamba also emphasized the ministry’s commitment to safeguarding the integrity of national examinations.
Exam Administration and Staffing
To ensure smooth and accurate marking, the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) engaged 32,800 examiners in 2024, an increase from 29,876 in 2023. Additionally, marking of the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) has been completed, with KNEC now preparing reports to be shared with schools and learners by January 2025.
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Over 1.3 million candidates took the KPSEA in 32,573 centers, supported by 617 distribution centers. Despite challenges such as heavy rains and insecurity in some regions, Ogamba noted that no candidate was left out. Among the examinees were 28 courageous candidates who completed their exams in hospital settings.
Ogamba commended the multi-agency team that included officials from the Ministries of Education, Interior, and ICT, as well as the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) and other stakeholders, for their efficient coordination throughout the exam period.
Funding and Infrastructure Development
The government disbursed KSh 65.2 billion for free secondary education in 2024. Of this, junior secondary schools received KSh 35.3 billion, and primary schools KSh 9.36 billion in capitation grants.
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To address infrastructure needs, KSh 18 billion has been allocated for Grade 9 projects, including the construction of 18,000 classrooms nationwide. The first phase delivered 3,500 classrooms, while the ongoing second phase aims to add 7,500 more by January 2025.
The National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF) is also funding the construction of an additional 6,800 classrooms. Nairobi County received a special allocation of KSh 1 billion to address its unique challenges.
Teacher Recruitment and Training
In support of the junior secondary rollout, over 46,000 intern teachers have been absorbed into permanent positions. The government is in the process of recruiting 20,000 more intern teachers.
Additionally, 60,000 primary school teachers have been trained to handle junior secondary school (JSS) education.
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CS Ogamba reaffirmed the government’s dedication to ensuring access to quality education for all learners while addressing the sector’s challenges and enhancing its infrastructure and teaching capacity.
