Reports circulating online on May 8, 2023, claiming that Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu had directed Kenyans between the ages of 29 and 35 to resit the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) are fake and misleading.
According to teachersupdates.co.ke, the reports did not originate from the Ministry of Education. One Twitter account that initially shared the misleading information garnered over 9,000 views by stealing the identity of Nation Africa, including its logo and name.
The account claimed that Education CS Ezekiel Machogu had ordered Kenyans between 29 and 35 years old to retake KCSE exams due to rampant cheating in previous years.
However, Nation Africa flagged the post as fake and not originating from the media house. Following a series of complaints, the Twitter account was suspended.
Another social media post alleging that CS Machogu had directed 29 to 35-year-olds to resit their KCSE exams was from a Citizen TV parody account, which attracted over 100 Twitter views.
During an appearance before the National Assembly Education and Research Committee, Machogu dismissed claims of malpractice during the 2022 KCSE exams.
He defended schools with impressive results, ensuring integrity was observed during the national exams. He told the committee that what the students received was their real grade, and the exam was credible with integrity not being compromised.
The misleading reports targeting the Ministry of Education came a week after the ministry debunked reports alleging that students who sat for the 2022 KCSE exams would be required to do an entry test before joining the university.
Kennedy Buhere, Head of Communications in the Ministry of Education, State Department of Early Learning and Basic Education, dismissed the reports as false and misleading. He insisted that the information was fake.