A 31-year-old man has been arrested at Urban Integrated Senior School in Embu County for allegedly impersonating a registered candidate in the ongoing 2026 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations.
The suspect was reportedly sitting the examinations on behalf of another candidate since Monday before his arrest at the examination centre.
He was escorted to Embu Police Station, where he is being held alongside his motorcycle, which he allegedly used to travel to the school.
Urban Integrated Senior School is hosting 141 private candidates for this year's national examinations.
The whereabouts of the actual registered candidate remain unknown, with preliminary reports suggesting that the two men may be acquaintances.
Embu County Director of Education Samuel Mutemi and officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) have taken over the matter as investigations seek to establish how the alleged impersonation occurred and whether other individuals were involved.
Examination impersonation is an offence under the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) legal framework and may attract criminal penalties, including fines and imprisonment.
The incident raises fresh questions about examination security and the measures in place to ensure that only duly registered candidates sit the national examinations.
KNEC has repeatedly warned candidates, parents and other individuals against engaging in examination malpractice, cautioning that anyone found facilitating or participating in such activities risks prosecution.
The investigation will establish how the suspect gained access to the examination centre and whether the alleged impersonation involved any assistance from individuals within or outside the school.
The arrest comes as candidates across the country continue to sit their KCSE examinations, with authorities expected to maintain vigilance to safeguard the credibility of the national assessment.
Education officials have urged school administrators and examination supervisors to remain alert throughout the examination period, stressing the need for strict adherence to registration and identification procedures to prevent impersonation and protect the credibility of the national examinations.
