Samoei Boys Students Arrested After Night of Chaos Amid Exam Cheating Claims
Several students from Samoei Boys High School in Nandi County were taken into police custody on Wednesday night after an outbreak of unrest that saw officers deployed to quell an attempted arson within the institution.
According to eyewitnesses, the disturbance began shortly after 8pm when a group of Form Four candidates allegedly tried to torch parts of the school compound. The riot is said to have been triggered by frustrations among candidates who reportedly claimed they had been denied access to examination leakage and subjected to increased surveillance during the ongoing Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams.
Residents living near the school told reporters they heard screams and commotion as the students moved through the compound, threatening to burn buildings and destroy school property. Police officers, who had been placed on heightened alert due to a recent surge in exam-related indiscipline nationwide, moved in swiftly to disperse the crowds.
One resident recounted the tense moment, saying the sound of tear gas canisters exploding “rented the air” as officers intervened to prevent further damage. No injuries were reported during the confrontation.
Authorities from Nandi Police Station later confirmed that calm was restored shortly after the intervention, and several students suspected of leading the unrest were arrested. They are expected to face charges once investigations conclude.
The incident unfolded as KCSE examinations entered their final days, with the national tests scheduled to end this Friday. Education officials have urged both students and parents to remain calm as inquiries into the school riot proceed.
The unrest also comes barely a week after Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba issued a stern warning over rising cases of exam malpractice across the country. Speaking to journalists on November 13, Ogamba revealed that at least 78 individuals—among them teachers, impersonators, and other non-students—had been arrested since the national examinations began.
“We have identified a few cases of individuals abusing social media to expose the contents of the examinations. Our security personnel have been swift and have arrested 78 people so far,” Ogamba said.
He added that teachers and other officials caught facilitating cheating would face immediate dismissal and prosecution. “Through evidence-led operations, more culprits will be arrested and subjected to the full force of the law. There have also been several cases of impersonation,” he noted.
The Ministry of Education has stressed that it will continue to tighten security around exam centres in a bid to safeguard the integrity of the national assessment process.
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Samoei Boys Students Arrested After Night of Chaos Amid Exam Cheating Claims