Anxiety continues to grip Lugulu Girls High School in Bungoma, one of Kenya’s academic powerhouses, as students, teachers, and parents anxiously await the release of the 2023 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) results. The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) has withheld the results of all 699 students who sat for their exams, citing suspicions of involvement in exam irregularities.
The news has left both students and parents in shock, with many flocking to the school seeking answers from the administration. Despite the school’s long-standing reputation for academic excellence, it has yet to receive its results, which were expected after the announcement by Education Cabinet Secretary, Julius Ogamba, on Thursday.
The school’s principal, Diana Cheruyoti, was unavailable for comment as she is reported to have travelled to Nairobi to meet with KNEC officials in a bid to resolve the matter. Meanwhile, a notice posted on the school’s noticeboard addressed concerned parents and guardians, assuring them that the issue was being handled and that further communication would be issued in due time.
Mixed Reactions from Leaders
The situation has sparked a flurry of reactions from elected leaders, who are demanding answers about the delay. Western Region Director of Education, Jared Obiero, attempted to quell concerns, clarifying that the withholding of results did not mean they had been cancelled. He explained that KNEC had simply decided to withhold the results temporarily to allow for verification of any potential irregularities.
“The results were only withheld to enable us to verify whether there were some irregularities involved. Once we verify everything, the results will be out soon,” Obiero said. He suggested that the withholding might have been due to missing information or errors in the results.
The delay follows the Education Cabinet Secretary’s announcement that 2,829 candidates’ results had been withheld across the country, while 840 others had their results cancelled due to irregularities.
Governor Lusaka Points Finger at Transferred Teachers
Bungoma Governor Kenneth Lusaka has weighed in on the matter, blaming transferred teachers for contributing to the current impasse over Lugulu Girls’ KCSE results. During a funeral service in Kamukuywa, Lusaka claimed that teachers who had been transferred from the school were behind the controversy, accusing them of influencing the withholding of results by writing letters to KNEC.
“It’s very dangerous and a great shame to witness stakeholders in education play politics with the very institutions they are supposed to safeguard,” Lusaka remarked. “The incident at Lugulu Girls, our giant school in the region, is completely unacceptable. Teachers should propel the quality of education and desist from playing ostrich politics.”
The governor condemned any political interference in schools and warned that such behaviour would not be tolerated. He called on educators to focus on their core responsibility of improving academic standards and maintaining the integrity of educational institutions.
While expressing frustration over the situation, Lusaka also commended other schools in Bungoma for their excellent academic performance and reiterated his commitment to supporting education in the region.
MP Barasa Assures Parents Results Will Be Released Soon
Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa has dismissed claims that the school’s results had been cancelled. The lawmaker reassured parents that the results were merely withheld for verification purposes. He confirmed that he had spoken with the Education Cabinet Secretary, who assured him that the results were under scrutiny and would be released once the review process was completed.
“I have talked to the CS, and he assured me that the results were being verified,” Barasa said. “There is a difference between withholding and rejecting results. The exams are being scrutinized, and the results will be delayed for a few days but will eventually be released.”
Barasa also explained that the results had been flagged due to the school’s outstanding performance, which prompted KNEC to conduct additional scrutiny to ensure that no irregularities occurred.
Lugulu Girls: A History of Academic Excellence
Lugulu Girls High School has long been one of the top-performing schools in Bungoma County, consistently ranking second after Friends School Kamusinga. The institution’s academic reputation has remained unshaken, and it has contributed significantly to the educational development of the region.
As the investigation continues and the verification process unfolds, students, parents, and teachers are left in suspense, hoping that the situation will be resolved swiftly and that the school’s results will be released as soon as possible.
