MPs Corner KNEC About Ksh25 Fee to View Results
MPs Corner KNEC About Ksh25 Fee to View Results
The Kenya National Examination Council’s (KNEC) policy of charging fees for text messages used to access candidates’ examination results for the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) and Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) has alarmed members of the National Assembly Education Committee, led by Chairperson Julius Melly (Tinderet MP), on Wednesday.
Chairperson Melly argued that imposing charges on parents for accessing results, particularly during challenging economic conditions, was unjust. He highlighted previous difficulties faced by parents in accessing results due to technical issues with the platform.
“Given the economic challenges, these charges only add to the burden faced by already struggling Kenyan parents,” remarked Melly during discussions with KNEC CEO David Njeng’ere, Basic Education PS Dr. Belio Kipsang, and other council officials appearing before the committee.
Njeng’ere confirmed that mobile network operators, the SMS service provider, and KNEC split the revenue from the premium SMS service, with the division between the council and the service provider being 80:20 as shown in KNEC’s Annual Accounts.
PS Kipsang defended the SMS fee by pointing out that the identical findings are available on the school portal at no cost. He did concede, though, that many Kenyans prefer the SMS option because of its promptness and speed.
Despite these explanations, MPs expressed dissatisfaction and called for further investigation into the charges to be presented before the committee.
After receiving concerns from leaders, parents, and students about the 2023 KCPE results, lawmakers also closely examined education officials. They asked for an explanation in situations where classmates purportedly received the same grades in a single topic.
PS Kipsang refuted the allegations, stating that the results shared on social media did not correspond with those from the aforementioned schools. He disclosed that research had been done and that the pupils had not, in fact, received the same grades as stated on the internet.
The PS said, “We will present a thorough report on any matters causing concern when we appear before the committee at Parliament on Thursday.”
