Raila Odinga raises alarm over threats to integrity of national exams
In a press statement released recently, Raila Odinga, the leader of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), expressed grave concerns over the alleged jeopardised integrity of national exams and certificates.
In a press statement released recently, Raila Odinga, the leader of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), expressed grave concerns over the alleged jeopardised integrity of national exams and certificates. Raila highlighted the drastic changes in the management of national examinations, dating back to 2016, when significant reforms were initiated to enhance the credibility of the education sector.
Raila pointed out that in 2016, the Kenyan government engaged a secure printing firm, Stephen Austin Printing Ltd. in the UK, to manage national exams. This move was aimed at ensuring the security and integrity of the examination process. However, Raila revealed that earlier this year, the Kenya Kwanza administration abruptly terminated the contract with the UK company due to its refusal to provide kickbacks.
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Allegations of corruption were raised when the KCPE and KCSE exam printing contract was awarded to a local company on Mombasa Road in Nairobi, without following legal procurement processes. Raila claimed that this company lacked the capacity to print the exams securely, leading to the outsourcing of printing services to a company in India. The UK firm, whose contract was canceled, reportedly refused to provide security codes, compromising the integrity of the exams.
The leader of ODM argued that this sudden change in the printing process contributed to the discrepancies and challenges witnessed in the 2023 KCPE results. Grades in certain subjects were truncated, and the system failed to produce Plus and Minus signs, leading to confusion and dissatisfaction among students and parents.
Raila asserted that the corruption and irregularities in the education sector are sanctioned at the highest levels of the government. He disclosed that the mess in the KCPE was a result of a tender war among senior officials in the Ministry of Education, escalating to higher offices in the government.
To address this crisis, Odinga has written to key education stakeholders, including religious bodies, teachers' associations, and anti-corruption agencies, seeking their partnership to safeguard the integrity of Kenyan exams.
Raila outlined several critical steps that should be taken, including investigations into the circumstances of transferring the printing of exams, disclosure of the cost of terminating the contract with the UK firm, and transparency in the identification and awarding of tenders to local companies.
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