Members of the National Assembly Education Committee, spearheaded by Chairman Julius Melly (Tinderet MP), convened on Wednesday to express reservations regarding the Kenya National Examination Council's (KNEC) controversial practice of charging fees for text messages used to check candidates' examination results for the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) and Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE).

Chairman Melly argued that it was unjust to burden parents with additional charges, particularly during challenging economic circumstances. The issue was exacerbated when parents encountered difficulties accessing the results due to a breakdown in the platform.

"Given the prevailing tough economic times, the charges impose an additional burden on already overstressed and struggling Kenyan parents," remarked Melly.

His remarks were directed at KNEC CEO David Njeng'ere, Basic Education PS Dr. Belio Kipsang, and other high-ranking council officials who were present before the committee.

In response, Njeng'ere clarified that the revenue generated from the premium-charged SMS is distributed among mobile network operators, the SMS service provider, and KNEC. He detailed that the financial transactions are transparently disclosed in KNEC's Annual Accounts, with a revenue-sharing ratio of 80:20 between the council and the service provider.

Contrastingly, PS Kipsang defended the SMS charge, highlighting that identical results are accessible for free on the school portal. Despite this, he acknowledged the preference for the SMS option due to its speed and timeliness.

However, the explanations provided failed to satisfy the MPs, who insisted on a more thorough investigation into the charges to be presented before the committee.

The lawmakers also grilled education officials about the 2023 KCPE results following public outcry from parents, students, and leaders. MPs sought clarification on how students could allegedly score similar marks in a particular subject.

Dismissing these claims, PS Kipsang stated that the results circulating on social media were not consistent with those officially recorded by the schools. Kipsang revealed that investigations had been conducted, proving that the students did not achieve identical marks as claimed online.

"We will present a comprehensive report on all aspects causing public concern when we appear before the committee at Parliament on Thursday," declared the PS.