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    "id": 325786,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/325786/?format=api",
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    "content": "higher level, and then they are told that the examination results have been cancelled due to cheating. In some cases it is not the fault of the child. Therefore, I whole heartedly welcome this Bill if it is going to seal all these loopholes that have made many parents and children suffer as a result of cheating in examinations. As a nation, we must ensure that due to the examinations we administer, anyone who sees a certificate from Kenya accepts that it is a certificate from a credible country or organization. Therefore, we must do everything as a House to ensure that the integrity of examinations in this country is protected. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, forged certificates continue to be a serious challenge to the administration of examinations in this country. Many hon. Members have been complaining that whenever recruitments are done, candidates are turned back with forged documents. We must punish those people who attempt to forge certificates, because the integrity of examinations that I have alluded to is undermined by the forgery of these papers. Clause 34 of this Bill provides for punishment for forging documents and it is very much welcome. Clause 35 talks about counterfeiting of these documents. I feel that the punishment that the Minister has proposed may not even be enough. When we go to the Committee Stage some of us would like to see a more serious punishment for offenses of this nature, that is, offenses like forged documents or counterfeiting. While on this, I want to regret that university degrees are not covered, because only examinations that are administered by the KNEC are covered. We know for a fact that the mushrooming of universities in this country has given rise to certificates and degrees which are doubtful. Therefore, I would like to see the Minister reining in such universities, so that degrees from these universities are credible. They can only be credible if there is some centralized examination of the university education, so that when we see a degree it is a degree. You do not have to look at it and ask where it is coming from. It is a degree in Kenya; it should be credible. I would like to ask the Minister for Education to go further and see how university degrees can be included, if not in this Bill, then in another Bill, so that people can have confidence. We know that many countries are producing degrees some of which come to this country but we cannot even employ the degree holders because you are not sure of their validity. I do not want to name those countries but we know them. We want to ensure that Kenya has a reputation where certificates from the KNEC are always given the respect they deserve. Degrees from the Kenyan universities should be given the respect they deserve, because without confidence in these documents, we cannot claim to be providing the world with a labour market as we want to do. We want to make sure that Kenyans can go to South Africa or all over the world with their recognized degrees. We do not want to have any doubt whatsoever; that will depend on the kind of administration of examinations we will undertake. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, let me in passing urge the Minister to make sure that there is a level playing ground for children being examined. I have always argued in this House that the education system in this country favours some areas against others. When you give a school with eight classes, three teachers and another school with the same classes, twelve teachers and the children do one examination, the ground is not level. Since the Minister is able to see things, I am sure he can find a solution to this worrying problem, where today some schools have no teachers, others have more teachers than they need and when you come to a rationalization programme, it just lasts a"
}