Kibra MP Ken Okoth is calling for the privatisation of national exams' administration in a bid to curb massive leakages with the ongoing Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education papers being in the spotlight.
Okoth, who is also a member of the Parliamentary Committee on Education, said during an interview on Citizen TV on Tuesday night to propose that private security companies be contracted to take charge of administering of national examinations.
He cited the importance of changing the system of administration of the exams by entrusting such companies with the mandate so as to relieve the police of the duty.
"Billions of shillings get moved in this country by private security companies; very little of it gets lost. Why can’t we change the system and think of how can we privatise and contract private companies. Let’s say a private firm bids to deliver the papers for Nairobi or 10 counties, it must deliver and if there is a problem in the counties or with the papers, the contract is cancelled because it has breached the contract and so they don't get paid," said Okoth.
The MP blamed lack of creativity as one of the reasons behind examinations' leakage.
"If you rely on policemen who for 21 days will be in a remote outpost in Marsabit for example supervising exams and you are paying them only Sh520, what do you expect? It is not a budget issue, there is lack of creativity because they (police) are doing the same old thing while the world is getting smarter than them and outsmarting them," he reiterated.
Okoth is among Members of Parliament championing the disbandment of the Kenya National examination Council for allegedly creating loopholes for exam leakages.