On Tuesday, the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) took the step of suspending Charles Onyari, the Principal of Nyambaria High School, from his role as the center manager for the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination. Nyambaria Boys High School, located in Nyamira County, garnered significant attention when it achieved a remarkable mean score of 10.89 in the 2022 KCSE examination.
The suspension of the high school principal was initiated in response to concerns of possible irregularities in the examination process. A teacher associated with the school verified this development during an interview with Kenyans.co.ke. However, the teacher chose to remain anonymous and did not disclose further details regarding the incident.
The teacher mentioned, “The situation did not disrupt the examinations, but we are still awaiting complete information regarding the reasons behind the Principal’s suspension.” Initially, there were reports suggesting that the Principal had been taken to Nyamira Police Station to provide a statement regarding examination materials that were discovered in the vicinity.
Another source who was well-informed about the ongoing events in Nyamira relayed to Kenyans.co.ke that the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) had refrained from confirming the allegations. He noted, “We have been closely monitoring the DCI’s response since the morning, but they have declined to issue a statement regarding the charges leveled against the Principal.”
There were also allegations that two other school principals in Nyamira County had faced suspension due to exam irregularities.
Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu, on Tuesday, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to conducting the KCSE examination with the utmost integrity. In the 2022 KCSE exams, all the candidates achieved grades of B and above, with an impressive 383 candidates scoring an A-. At the time, the now-suspended Onyari attributed this outstanding performance to effective coordination among all stakeholders and strong support from the local community.
As of now, the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) have yet to issue a comprehensive statement regarding the suspension of the school principal.
