Kenyan Newspapers Review, December 8: CS Machogu Orders Audit Into 2023 KCPE Results

On Friday, December 8, the dailies covered a wide range of topics, the focus being on the happenings in the Ministry of Education, where CS Ezekiel Machogu is striving to save face following errors in the 2023 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examination.

1. Daily Nation

The daily covered the events in the National Assembly, where Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu appeared before the departmental committee on Education to address the concerns about the results of the 2023 KCPE examination.

Errors were experienced as candidates received wrong results, with the CS laying blame on the telecommunication company charged with relaying the results to candidates via their short message services.

Machogu told the lawmakers that the results on the Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) online portal were accurate, admitting anomalies in the ones sent via SMS.

He said he had engaged his ICT counterpart Eliud Owalo to help look into the matter.

An independent audit firm had been contracted to undertake the probe which would take 14 days, he said.

2. The Standard

The publication highlighted the stance of Narc Kenya party leader Martha Karua on the NADCO recommendations.

Karua criticised the report's recommendations, saying they were not in line with the aspirations of many Azimio la Umoja followers.

According to her, the committee failed to address three issues pertinent to the opposition coalition.

She asked Kenyans to reject the bipartisan report, arguing that it was only meant to offer goodies to the leaders and not the ordinary Kenyan.

"NADCO report has nothing to alleviate the suffering of citizens but offers goodies to the leaders. It is a fraud which Kenyans should frown upon and reject. It's a distraction smokescreen," Karua said.

Karua pointed out that the report failed to address the rising cost of essential commodities such as fuel and the unemployment challenge.

"The report has failed to address the rise of essential commodities like fuel and food items. The increase of taxation by the state has not also been addressed. Unemployment has also been a challenge that has not been addressed," she added.

The Narc Kenya leader further expressed her reservations about the proposed modalities of auditing the 2022 General Election.

She demanded that the recruitment of IEBC commissioners be stopped for a further 45 to 60 days to allow both coalitions (Azimio and Kenya Kwanza) to deal with the selection; she says it should not be a preserve of parliament.

In summary, Karua said the recommendations by the committee show Kenya Kwanza leadership was never interested in having a solution for Kenyans.

"Unfortunately, the findings of the report confirm that the committee was formed by the unwilling, composed of the incompetent to do the unnecessary,'' the Narc Kenya leader stated.

3. The Star

The newspaper spared space for the tribulations faced by Controller of Budget Margaret Nyakang'o following her arrest in Mombasa.

A Nairobi court temporarily stopped her prosecution on Thursday, December 7.

High Court Judge Chacha Mwita suspended Nyakang'o's prosecution following a case filed by West Mugirango MP Stephen Mogaka.

In his ruling, Justice Mwita said the order would remain in force until May 21, 2024, when the case would be mentioned.

In his application to the court, Mogaka claimed the arrest and prosecution of Nyakang'o was a violation of her rights.

“The arrest comes in the wake of her public exposes with regards to the fiscal improprieties within the running of various state arms and agencies and is a manifestation of a reaction with ulterior motive,” Mogaka claimed.

Nyakang'o was arrested on Monday, December 4, and faced multiple criminal charges alongside 10 others in a case dating back to 2016.

Directorate of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), Nyakang'o and 10 others are facing a variety of charges, including conspiracy to defraud KSh 29 million, operating an unlicensed Sacco, forgery, and uttering false documents.

4. Taifa Leo

The Swahili newspaper reported on Raila Odinga's new mechanism of facing the government on the cost of living and other issues affecting Kenyans.

The opposition leader has seemingly resorted to having the issues addressed through the corridors of justice at the expense of the mass action protests on the streets.

One of the wins by Raila's side in court was the stoppage of the sale of 11 state parastatals.

For instance, the former prime minister said that the Kenya Pipeline is strategic to the country's economy and thus selling it would see the prices of fuel skyrocketing a hundred-fold.

Raila had previously sanctioned protests to express dissatisfaction with the state.