Ezekiel Machogu Abolishes SMS Code Used To Check Candidates' Score In KCPE, KCSE

• Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu announced an end to SMS code 40054 that candidates use to check exam results
• Machogu said the ministry is working towards a website that will allow the public access to the national examination results for free
• He also disclosed that the ministry had terminated the services of the firm contracted to convey the results via SMS

Nancy Odindo, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings more than three years of experience covering politics, news, and feature stories across digital and print media in Kenya.

Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu has announced the repeal of the SMS code used to confirm national examination results.

In a video shared by Kenya News Alert, Machogu stated that the department and the Ministry of ICT are working towards opening a website where all candidates can check their results for free.

“We (Ministry of Education) do away with SMS transmission of national exam provisional results and open a new platform. Currently, school portals are the most reliable," said Machogu.

Speaking in response to questions raised by the National Assembly Education Committee, he noted that, at the moment, only school portals can access the website.

Who was responsible for the errors?

The CS further disclosed that the ministry had terminated the services of the contractor in charge of transmitting 2023 KCPE results through SMS, holding the firm accountable for the wrong results received by certain candidates.

The announcement came after schools and students raised complaints about the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) exam results, disowning the results.

Additionally, the SMS code, 40054, had also presented challenges, causing delays and uproar among eager candidates.

Machogu defends KNEC

Speaking at the graduation ceremony of Eldoret National Polytechnic in Uasin Gishu County, he said,

“I want to affirm to Kenyans that the KCPE results were credible. The issue stemmed from transmission, but everything was fine and the principals of various schools can certify. Our systems are okay, and our PS even showed the Parliamentary Committee how it works.."

However, the Kenya National Education Council (KNEC) had earlier admitted the errors and promised to rectify them within the stipulated 60 days.

Raila reacts to KCPE anomalies

Raila Odinga blamed the massive errors on the tender wars within the Kenya Kwanza administration.

According to the opposition leader, the government declined to offer the tender to a UK-based firm and instead offered it to a Mombasa road company, which he claimed was not equal to the task.

"We've established that early this year, the government abruptly stopped this contract because the UK company refused to give kickbacks. Without following any legal process, the KK awarded the KCPE contract to a politically connected local company based in Mombasa Road in Nairobi.

The government was advised that the local company could not print the exams and ensure their security, especially on short notice. Nobody would budge because there were kickbacks involved," Raila claimed.