Prof. Maurice Oduor Okoth

The KCSE exam period is not just a time of intense academic pressure but also a highly lucrative season for teachers involved in this illicit practice. Principals, commonly referred to as center managers, often collaborate with local TSC officials to revoke the postings of invigilators and supervisors who refuse to cooperate. While many educators remain committed to upholding ethical standards, a...

Teachers play a pivotal role in this elaborate cheating network. Some, especially those assigned as invigilators in schools, use their positions to access the exam papers before they are officially opened. For bribes ranging between Ksh 2,000-4,000 per day, teachers and invigilators either ignore cheating or actively facilitate it by allowing students extra time to complete their exams. The...

The period between setting target means and the official release of results is riddled with meticulously planned cheating schemes. Cartels ensure that leaked materials reach only the well-connected or financially compliant schools. The result is a system that rewards manipulation over merit, eroding public confidence in what should be the country’s most trusted measure of academic achievement. Malpractices in the Kenya Certificate...

When exam results are manufactured instead of earned, we destroy not only the future of our children but also the credibility of our nation’s education system. KCSE malpractice is no longer just cheating; it is a well-oiled cartel that trades in the dreams of students and the sacrifices of parents. The true crisis in Kenya’s education is not poor performance, but...

When Safaricom launched Fuliza in 2019, it was marketed as a digital innovative way to help Kenyans complete transactions even when their M-Pesa wallets were empty. In short, Fuliza can remain a useful tool for millions of Kenyans, but only if it evolves from being a financial trap into a genuine lifeline. Options such as partial repayments, reasonable grace periods, or...

The initiative promised to harmonize university standards, enable seamless movement of students and academic staff, and ensure that degrees earned in one member state would be recognized across the region. The most significant and far-reaching effort so far is the Regional Quality Assurance Project, which gained traction in universities across all member states and has become a continental success story. Unless...

In the colonial era, schooling was designed primarily to produce clerks and low-level workers to serve the colonial administration. After independence in 1963, Kenya adopted the 7-4-2-3 structure, which promised broader access and a more comprehensive education. Recent data paints a detailed picture of both progress and strain. According to the 2024 school census conducted by the Ministry of Education...

AI is influencing everything from literature reviews and data analysis to writing assistance and predictive modeling. Perhaps most troubling is the rise of fake research outputs and deepfakes. We are entering an age where AI can fabricate data, generate credible-looking papers filled with false information, or even create fictitious authors and peer reviews. Let us work collectively—as departments, institutions, and national...

Under the Fourth Schedule of the Constitution, basic education is listed as a national government function, while counties oversee early childhood education and vocational training. Handing over all basic education functions to counties in one sweeping move would be risky and potentially chaotic. Pilot projects in select counties could serve as test cases, providing valuable lessons and refinements before the model...

Without a framework that fairly compensates academic qualification, the current remuneration model risks undermining both professional development and institutional integrity. One key objection is the fear that such a model might undervalue experience and performance, which are often crucial in determining an individual’s suitability for leadership roles. Linking basic salary to academic qualification is not a radical idea—it is a rational...