CS Ogamba: 418 KCSE candidates implicated in exam cheating in 2025

The Ministry of Education has raised concerns about the continued occurrence of exam malpractice, despite a decline in the number of candidates involved compared to previous years.

Speaking in Okerenyo, Nyamira North, during the opening of the final set of examination papers on Friday, November 21, 2025, Education Cabinet Secretary (CS) Julius Ogamba confirmed that 418 candidates were implicated in various forms of malpractice during the administration of the 2025 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE).

“While stakeholders have demonstrated commendable integrity, isolated cases of malpractice were reported during the administration of the 2025 KCSE,” he said.

“418 candidates were reported to have engaged in examination malpractices compared to 614 candidates in 2024. This is despite the fact that this year we had the largest number of candidates at 3.4 million.”

Further, he stated that investigations are ongoing and that any individual or institution found culpable will face the full force of the law under the KNEC Act 2012.

 Among the penalties outlined are deregistration of examination centres, nullification of results for affected candidates, disqualification from sitting future examinations and criminal prosecution where necessary.

Ogamba further revealed that impersonation cases will attract the harshest sanctions, warning that any candidate found guilty will be barred from sitting the KCSE until 2027.

Nationwide crackdown

His remarks come a few weeks after nineteen people, including examination centre managers, have been arrested countrywide over irregularities in the ongoing Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations.

A special police unit deployed to curb cases of exam cheating also arrested five impostors writing exams for candidates at two centres in Nairobi and Kericho.

The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) also seized 17 mobile phones from students sitting for the KCSE examinations in two separate incidents in the Moyale and Saku constituencies of Marsabit County.

Siaya, Samburu, Kericho, and Kitui counties led in the number of suspects arrested. In Siaya, Rachar Secondary School topped the list of shame with five suspects arrested, including the school principal, Patrick Omondi; invigilator Paul Akumba, centre supervisor Victor Amollo, school secretary Faith Odhiambo, and school cook Milicent Awino Oluoch.

Moi Girls High School in Maralal, Samburu County, also had three officials arrested: centre manager Peter Loong’ono, exams supervisor John Lolmeweti, and dean of studies Robert Omondi Odhiambo.