School director quizzed over exam cheating
The director of a private school is being questioned by the national exam council after a completed maths paper was found in his office.
On Monday NairobiNews acquired a Mathematics Alternative A Paper 2, serial number 000115204, which had been written by a candidate but was not submitted to the Kenya National Examinations Council (Knec).
It was given to us by disgruntled candidates who said they had found it in the office of Mr Philip Mwibanda.
No invigilator
The paper was sat for and signed on October 28 by a Mr Henry Gekonde Onchiri, index number 50170510-063.
We verified from different schools and Knec that the paper in our possession was genuine.
Subsequently, we reported the matter to the exam body. Two Knec officials accompanied us to the school on Tuesday.
When we arrived at the school, the 58 candidates who were sitting for the CRE paper were in the examination hall, while Mr Gekonde was in a separate room next to Mr Mwibanda’s office.
He was sitting in a corner, where he could communicate with anyone from the timber-partitioned office.
Curiously, the candidate had no separate invigilator.
When we arrived at the Director’s office with Knec officials, there was a man who said he was a Chemistry and Mathematics teacher at a nearby school.
He was in the office with Ms Rose Ochieng, the examination supervisor at the school.
Later Ms Ochieng called the director who said that he was not aware of anyone sitting for the examinations on behalf of Gekonde and blamed the supervisor, saying she was the one in charge of the examinations.
“Mine is just to ensure the smooth running of the process,” he said.
Mr Mwibanda denied that Mr Gekonde’s written paper had been found at his office, saying all the papers are counted before they are sealed and taken by the supervisor in the company of the police officer stationed in the school.
The Knec officials questioned Mr Mwibanda for hours before asking all invigilators, supervisor and the police officer at the school to record statements.
No arrests were made because the Knec officials said there was a process to be followed before action was taken.
After finishing the examinations, Mr Gekonde left a green paper on the desk. It was picked minutes later by one of the invigilators.
Mr Mwibanda later called our photographer and admitted a mistake had been made. We have a recording of the conversation.