Kenya’s higher education sector is grappling with a growing integrity crisis, with new data showing that exam malpractices accounted for 87.27% of all disciplinary cases in 2024.
- •According to the University Statistics 2024/2025 Report by the Commission for University Education (CUE), universities reported a total of 3,841 students discipline cases, of which 3,352 were linked to exam irregularities such as cheating, impersonation, and use of unauthorized materials.
- •The figures paint a troubling picture of academic dishonesty becoming normalized within campuses, threatening credibility of Kenyan degrees both locally and internationally.
- •If employers and international institutions begin to doubt the integrity of academic qualifications, graduates may find themselves at a disadvantage in a competitive job market.
The report categorizes disciplinary issues into seven areas. While exam malpractices dominated at 87.27%, gross misconduct such as violent behaviour and defiance of authority accounted for 166 cases (4.32%). Breaches of rules governing halls of residence and student elections made up 124 cases (3.23%), while 105 cases (2.73%) involved theft, robbery, fraud, and forgery. Drug and substance abuse was reported in 70 cases (1.82%), gender-based violence in 15 cases (0.39%), and non-attendance of classes leading to poor performance in 9 cases (0.23%).
Several factors explain why cheating is so prevalent. The reliance on high-stakes examinations is a central issue. For many students, a single exam can determine graduation, scholarships, or professional advancement, creating immense pressure to perform. The report highlights that many cases involved students caught with mobile phones, unauthorized notes, or colluding with peers. Weak enforcement of examination policies has also compounded the problem.
Overcrowded lecture halls, limited invigilators, and resource constraints leave gaps that dishonest students can exploit. Moreover, the surge in enrollments- rising 12.40% to over 628,000 students in 2024- has stretched universities’ ability to maintain rigorous supervision.
Why it Matters
Universities are expected to produce skilled, innovative graduates capable of advancing national development. Yet if academic dishonesty is widespread, it raises doubts about whether students are genuinely acquiring the knowledge and competencies their certificates claim to represent.
The high levels of cheating also reflect deeper cultural and systemic issues within universities. The report notes that misconduct such as theft, fraud, and drug abuse, though smaller in scale, points to a broader erosion of discipline. Addressing these problems requires more than tightening examination protocols.
It calls for a holistic approach to student life, including mentorship programs and reforms in assessment methods. Continuous assessment, project-based learning, and digital tracking tools could reduce reliance on one-off, high-stakes exams and lower the incentive to cheat.
The CUE recommends that universities strengthen their disciplinary frameworks and reinforce exam integrity policies. It also encourages institutions to collaborate with professional bodies and employers to ensure that graduates meet industry standards not just on paper but in practice. Biometric identification during exams, plagiarism detection software, and enhanced invigilation could be part of the solutions, but these require resources many institutions lack.
Kenya’s development agenda relies on producing graduates who are not only skilled but trustworthy and innovative. If degrees lose credibility, the ripple effects will be felt across the economy, from professional standards in medicine and engineering to global competitiveness in research and business.
Unless urgent reforms are made, Kenya may succeed in expanding access to university education but fail to uphold the standards that give that education value.