Sleuths had identified the suspect’s location and ambushed him while at his residence in Masaba North, Kisii.
In a bid to seal loopholes allowing malpractice in national examinations, detectives attached to the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) jointly with their Masaba North counterparts arrested a notorious examination fraudster in Kisii County.
The suspect, Stephen Nyang’au Mbeche, was revealed to be the administrator (admin) of “KCSE 2024 Leakage Group” on Telegram. He was cornered and arrested after a sustained surveillance operation.
Sleuths had identified the suspect’s location and ambushed him while at his residence in Masaba North, Kisii.
A detailed search at his premises resulted in the seizure of a mobile phone and a laptop, the supposed tools of the trade he uses to exploit parents and students involved in the cheating.
A collage of Screen grabs of the leakage group. /DCI
The suspect is being processed for prosecution. Meanwhile, the team continues to track down other individuals involved in similar malpractices.
He was arrested for being in possession of unauthorized materials contrary to section 27 (1) of the KNEC Act No 29 of 2021 (revised 2019).
“A person who, before or during an examination, has in his or her possession or under his or her control any examination paper or any part thereof, or any material or information purporting to relate to the contents of any paper or material for that examination, without lawful excuse, commits an offence and is liable, upon conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding ten years, or a fine not exceeding two million shillings, or to both,” reads section 27 (1) of the KNEC Act.
Meanwhile, police are hot on the heels of other individuals engaging in similar malpractices who are extorting money from parents and students.
This arrest comes after the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) reportedly issued a directive to all mobile network operators regarding the suspension of operations of Telegram messenger in the country to curb exam cheating amidst the ongoing Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams, which kicked off on Monday, November 4.
Whether it is the loading of images or access to chats and groups, tens of Telegram users in the country reported to have struggled to interact with the messaging app. The government’s letter to the operators means that some of the app’s key functions were rendered unavailable.
According to an internet observatory, Netlocks, Telegram was restricted in Kenya with their data showing the app as being down across various internet providers.
The restricting of Telegram in Kenya during KCSE exams is not a new case as this also happened in 2023. The app, which can sustain large public groups of up to 200,000 members, or share one-way updates to unlimited audiences via channels, has recently emerged as a notorious medium which Kenyans have used in the past to circulate examination material.
In November 2023, six social media admins operating various Telegram sites involved in examination malpractices in the KCSE exams were arrested.
“The multi-agency operation by CAK officers, DCI officers attached to KNEC and all telecommunication service providers was launched after the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) monitoring team identified over 32 social media (SM) platforms being used to share, sell and post examination materials in violation of KNEC Act and regulations.
“In a letter to the Communications Authority of Kenya dated October 19, 2023, that was copied to security agencies, the Deputy Director, Legal Service Division of KNEC Mr Befly Jemurgor Bisem listed the 32 suspicious SM telegram platforms, 30 of which were active with a membership of over 193,000 parents and students,” stated the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) in part.
A phone with a Telegram app. /GUARDIAN