On February 25, 2016, the cabinet secretary for Education Fred Matiang'i announced tough penalties for heads of schools who will be caught engaging in exam malpractices.
This came after a report that many schools were involved in cheating in last year's examinations. A 3-year ban for school heads was proposed. Schools involved will not be allowed to register candidates to sit for national examinations for the entire period of the ban.
These are very harsh and tough penalties but they are necessary to end this chain of exam cheating in our primary and secondary schools once and for all. In fact, the same should be extended to our colleges and universities.
A West African saying goes, "What is bitter in the mouth is sweet in the stomach."
These penalties are analogous to bitter herbs.They are bitter in the mouth but when swallowed, they will heal our wounds (rampant cheating in exams.)