National examination candidates will now be able to appeal results of any of their canceled exams if a bill passed by parliament is assented.
This follows the adoption of the Bill establishing an examinations appeals tribunal.
The examinations appeals tribunal shall consist of a chairperson appointed by the Education Cabinet Secretary and not less than four or more than six other members who shall be appointed by the Cabinet Secretary.
Other members of the tribunal include a representative from the Kenya Curriculum Development Council, a representative from the Teachers’ Service Commission, and a quality assurance official from a public university. Members of KNEC are automatically disqualified from being in the tribunal.
The MPs, in their morning sitting, passed the Kenya National Examinations (Amendments) Bill 2016 through its Third Reading. The Bill is now awaiting Presidential assent to become law.
However, the MPs failed to clip KNEC’s powers to cancel examination results of students before informing them, as was contained in the initial Bill.
The Bill, which was sponsored by Sabatia MP Alfred Agoi, further states: “A member, officer, agent or staff of the council whose omission or commission leads to an examination irregularity commits an offence and is liable upon conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years or a fine not exceeding Sh5 million”.
“Where the council has a reason to believe that there was an examination irregularity or malpractice, the council shall conduct investigations and undertake necessary disciplinary proceedings,” it reads further.
