Five arrested over cheating as State warns of tougher bond terms

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Renson Ingonga, is pushing for harsh bond terms by courts while issuing a stern warning to individuals planning to engage in examination malpractice as the 2025 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations kicked off across the country on Monday.

Speaking at Kakamega School, where he witnessed the opening of the English Composition paper, Ingonga said the government would not tolerate any form of cheating and promised tough legal action against offenders.

“I am going to talk to our courts so that even the bond terms we press for will be serious for anyone found engaging in examination irregularities, whether in small or big schools, rural or urban,” the DPP warned.

He noted that the firm stance by his office aligns with the government’s broader goal of promoting integrity and eliminating corruption in all sectors.

“Corruption starts from any corner in the Republic, and national examinations are not an exception,” Ingonga said, emphasising that honesty must be upheld in every aspect of public life.

Ingonga said he took time off his official duties to personally oversee the start of the national examinations in the Western region, underscoring the government’s commitment to maintaining the credibility of the process.

He later addressed students, urging them to uphold discipline, honesty, and self-confidence throughout the exam period. As a show of goodwill, he donated Sh20,000 to the school to provide lunch for candidates sitting their first papers.

Kakamega School Chief Principal Elphas Lubaso said the candidates were adequately prepared and ready to perform well.

“We have 670 students starting their exams today, and we wish them the very best. We have done our part; the rest is up to them,” Lubaso said.

Across the country, over two million learners are sitting for national examinations this season to facilitate their transition to the next level of education. A total of 960,000 candidates began their KCSE examinations on Monday, while 1,000,030 Junior Secondary learners are concluding their Kenya Junior Secondary Education Assessment (KJSEA) ahead of joining Senior Secondary in January.

Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development(KICD) Chief Executive Officer(CEO) Prof. Charles Ong'ondo, who was speaking in Kakamega County, stated that there are some places where students enter examination centres with mobile phones, urging security agencies in charge of examination centres and supervisors to be keen or face punishment in case of exam malpractices.

"Whatever freasking you do, some people still sneak into the exam centres with phones, we have some who are strangers but managed to find themselves in exam centres, such things should be dealt with later. We have an issue of collusion, and we must ensure that such a thing does not happen, because if it does, those responsible will be held accountable. I have told exam centre managers and supervisors that they know what candidates and other people plan," said Ong'ondo.

In Kakamega County, 50,148 candidates from public schools and 1,212 from private institutions began their papers under tight supervision.

County Commissioner Mwangi Meru and Kakamega Central Police Commander Vincent Cherutich also cautioned examination officials and students against malpractice, warning that those found culpable will face the full force of the law.

“Examiners must strictly adhere to regulations, including avoiding entry into examination rooms with mobile phones, which have been a major source of leakages in the past,” Meru warned.

The Kakamega examination container was opened under tight security at dawn before the distribution of papers to various centers across the county.