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KCSE 2025: Candidates arrested over school arson claims in Trans Nzoia
21st November, 2025 04:38 PM
Five Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) candidates in Trans Nzoia County are held in Kitale police station after they were arrested on Thursday, November 20, 2025, shortly after finishing their exams.
The five boys of Trans Nzoia Mixed Day Secondary school were nabbed by police officers over claims that they were planning to burn the school after exams.
In a press briefing on Friday, November 21, 2025, outside the police station, parents of the five students led by Collins Gumba said they have been denied access to see their children.
“All of them are minors. They slept in the cold with criminals. Sadly, we have neither seen nor heard them. In fact, my child is asthmatic and I don’t know how he slept here,” Gumba said.
Also watch: CS Ogamba: 418 KCSE candidates implicated in exam cheating in 2025
He added that they have not been informed of the exact reasons for the arrest of their children.
On her part, Naomy Boit said it was unfair for the school centre manager to hand over the students without involving them.
“We are not sure if they have had food since yesterday. Even if our children made mistakes, it would be better for the school to notify us so that we know what to do,” she said.
Her sentiments were echoed by Benson Ndombi, who called on the Ministry of Education to take action against the school principal.
School board chairperson
Moreover, the school’s board chairperson, Titus Kilong’i, said the arrest of the students is highly regrettable and added that they are working towards resolving the issue.
“There were differences between the school principal and the candidates who were suspected that they were planning to burn the school. Unfortunately, the situation escalated to the extent that some of them were arrested and spent their night here. The matter is being handled, and as the chair, I can assure you that we are going to resolve it amicably,” Kilong’i said.
At the same time, Trans Nzoia West Sub-County Police Commander, Erick Ng’etich said that they have launched investigations into the matter.
Meanwhile, this comes days after the government confirmed that at least 78 individuals have been arrested in connection with attempts to undermine the integrity of the ongoing 2025 national examinations.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba, on Saturday, November 15, 2025, confirmed that the arrests were linked to the exposure of examination content on social media platforms while tests were still in progress, as well as other exam fraud practices.
Ogamba also revealed that further persons of interest are being pursued and will face prosecution as part of the Ministry’s efforts to combat exam malpractice.
“Evidence-led operations will continue, and more offenders will face the full force of the law,” Ogamba stated.
