On Monday, Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos announced a new policy to address exam cheating in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams. Under the revised guidelines, the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) will no longer cancel entire schools' exam results when malpractice is detected. Instead, penalties will apply only to individuals involved in cheating.

Speaking to examiners at Lang'ata Sub-County Headquarters in Nairobi, Migos highlighted that new security protocols have been implemented to prevent exam leakages and ensure that those caught cheating bear individual responsibility. "If there is malpractice, we will not condemn the whole school or center. It is going to be individualized," Migos emphasized.

The CS explained that each student’s exam papers are serialized, making it easier to trace malpractice to specific individuals. "If a student takes a phone into the exam room, captures a photo of their paper, and distributes it, we will know that it was that student, not the entire institution," he clarified.

In cases where collusion occurs, Migos assured the public that the government would target only the guilty parties following thorough investigations. "Where we find individuals conspiring, like in a past case in Homa Bay, we will follow the evidence to ensure those involved are held accountable,” he said.

Migos emphasized that blanket penalties often harm innocent students and dedicated teachers whose hard work is overlooked. "One or two individuals who commercialize this exercise give us a bad name. We want to make this sector clean and fair for everyone," he told the delegation.

In the past, entire schools faced exam result cancellations if KNEC found irregularities at a testing center. In 2023, more than 4,000 students' results were withheld due to alleged irregularities, with some students’ results canceled for impersonation. However, in some instances, KNEC later released withheld results after further review.

This new policy aims to preserve the integrity of Kenya’s education system while ensuring that only those directly responsible for cheating face consequences.