Police are investigating several teachers following an incident on Monday at Waa Boys High School in Matuga, Kwale County, where students were found in possession of 10 mobile phones during the ongoing KCSE exams. Initially, three students were caught with the devices, but a subsequent search revealed six more phones. The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has taken over the matter, with the area education director, Ahmed Mohamed, confirming the development.
Mohamed stated that appropriate legal actions will be taken against those responsible once the investigation concludes. He criticized the teachers for their failure to properly carry out their duties and ensure a thorough exam environment.
“The students are innocent in this case. If proper frisking had been conducted and clear instructions given about not bringing phones, this situation could have been avoided,” he said. Mohamed suggested that there is a possibility that the students may have intentionally been allowed into the exam rooms with the devices.
While the investigation is ongoing, Mohamed assured that the integrity of the exams has not been compromised, and the situation is under control. He emphasized that all students will continue with their exams, with stricter measures now in place to prevent future incidents.
To address the issue, the education director revealed that invigilators have been reshuffled, with male supervisors assigned to boys’ schools and female supervisors to girls’ schools. This change aims to ensure proper frisking, as some students had been exploiting the presence of opposite-gender invigilators to conceal phones in private body parts, knowing they were less likely to be thoroughly checked.
“We have decided to assign male invigilators to boys’ schools and female invigilators to girls’ schools to ensure thorough frisking of students,” he explained. Mohamed reassured the public that all necessary steps are being taken to safeguard the integrity of the national exams.
