Nyambaria High School candidates on tuesday chased away examination officials amid allegations of harassment and intimidation.
The school in Nyamira topped the country’s 2022 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations but was last week implicated in examination malpractices,
While the school maintained that the success was a result of hard work, skeptics have alleged that the students were involved in exam regularities without providing any evidence
Nyambaria principal Charles Onyari was last week suspended over exam irregularities. The authorities have not revealed the nature of his involvement.
According to sources in Nyamira County, security officers had to be deployed as regional examination officers camped in the school to quell the situation.
The students who are sitting for the exams alleged that they were being harassed by the invigilators and other people deployed to man the tests because of suspicion that they were involved in exam theft.
According to reports, the students claim they are being subjected to intrusive searches as exam officials try to find evidence of cheating.
Exam irregularities have been a problem in the past with authorities accusing teachers and exam officials of colluding to share papers with students.
Leaders from the region have complained of profiling of Nyambaria High School and other schools in the Kisii region during the exam period.
In the past, exam results of some schools have been canceled due to irregularities, forcing candidates to repeat classes.
Kenyans have noted in the past that despite the evidence of exam cheating, there have been very few convictions.
Also on Tuesday, a student was arrested with a mobile phone containing exam papers.
Police have launched a manhunt for a WhatsApp group admin who was accused of selling exam papers to students.
