Ogamba noted that this figure represents 0.064 per cent of the 965,501 candidates who sat for the examinations this year.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba has disclosed that 621 candidates in the 2024 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) were involved in exam malpractice.
Speaking on Friday, he explained that the malpractices included being found with unauthorised written materials, mobile phones, collusion, sharing images of question papers on social media, and impersonation.
“These cases were reported in 198 out of 10,754 exam centres, representing 1.841 per cent of the total examination centres,” he stated.
“All the cases are under active investigation, and action will be taken against individuals found culpable of these malpractices.”
Ogamba reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to upholding the integrity of national examinations.
He highlighted that the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) increased the number of examiners from 29,876 in 2023 to 32,800 in 2024 to ensure accurate and timely marking.
He added that marking for the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) has been completed, and KNEC is developing relevant reports to be shared with schools and learners by January 2025.
Over 1.3 million KPSEA candidates sat for their exams in 32,573 centres supported by 617 distribution centres. Ogamba noted that despite heavy rains and insecurity in some parts of the country, no candidate was left behind, including 28 students who sat for their exams in hospital settings.
He commended the multi-agency examination administration team for their coordinated efforts, which ensured a seamless examination season. The team included officials from the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of ICT, Teachers Service Commission (TSC), and other stakeholders.
Ogamba revealed that the government had disbursed Sh65.2 billion for free secondary education. Of this, junior secondary schools received Sh35.3 billion, while primary schools received Sh9.36 billion in capitation grants.
Additionally, Sh18 billion has been allocated to Grade 9 infrastructure for constructing 18,000 classrooms. The first phase delivered 3,500 classrooms, while phase two, targeting 7,500 classrooms, is underway and will be completed by January 2025.
The National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF) is also constructing 6,800 additional classrooms. Nairobi County received a special allocation of Sh1 billion to address unique infrastructure challenges.
To support junior secondary education, Ogamba said over 46,000 intern teachers have been absorbed into permanent positions. A further 20,000 intern teachers are being recruited, while 60,000 primary school teachers have been trained to teach at the junior secondary level.
