Senate team begins probe into 'odd' KCSE results

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A senate team is investigating the sudden rise in number of candidates scoring straight As amid claims of KCSE exam cheating. 

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The Senate has opened an investigation into allegations of cheating in the 2022 KCSE exams whose results showed some schools had recorded an unusual rise in candidates posting top grades.

According to Senate Education Committee chairperson, Senator Joe Nyutu, his team is investigating concerns raised after some schools recorded a sudden spike in the number of candidates scoring straight As.

"We are investigating whether there was leakage. We have seen queries by Kenyans on social media but we urge them to be patient. We want to ascertain the truth," he said in Mombasa Tuesday where the matter was raised during an inaugural retreat of the chairpersons of 16 Senate Committees.

"It is very easy to know whether there was cheating in exams. You can tell if candidates give the same answers. All human beings cannot think the same," he added. 

"The abnormal curve is also raising questions. A school cannot have a mean grade of 5 and then all of a sudden shoot to 9. After the probe we will issue our report."

However, he did not specify what measures would be taken should it be confirmed that there was cheating.

In the results released by Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu last Friday, 1,146 candidates scored A grades compared to 1,138 in 2021. CS Machogu has however refuted the claims of cheating, insisting that exams were not leaked in favour of certain schools in Nyanza region.