A Meru University student has been charged with selling fake 2025 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination papers in an elaborate online scam.
According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), detectives attached to the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) tracked down and arrested the suspect, identified as Chrispinus Nandafu, in his hideout in Kianjai, Tigania West Sub-County.
“Detectives attached to the Kenya National Examinations Council have arrested a crafty student accused of orchestrating an elaborate online scam selling fake KNEC examination papers,” the DCI said in a statement.
Nandafu was arraigned in court on Tuesday, where he faced four counts of publishing false information and obtaining money by false pretenses. He denied all the charges.
According to the charge sheet, “The accused intentionally published false information purporting to have KCSE 2025 examination papers from KNEC with intent that it be acted upon as authentic and to fraudulently obtain money.”
DCI officers revealed that the student was the alleged mastermind behind an online syndicate trading in purported KNEC exam papers branded as “The Teacher’s KNEC Exam 2025.”
During the arrest, investigators recovered 29 Airtel SIM cards, six mobile phones, two laptops, and several Safaricom and Telkom SIM cards believed to have been used in the scam. Some of the electronic devices and SIM cards were registered under different individuals, which the DCI said suggested identity misuse.
Nandafu was also accused of operating WhatsApp and Telegram groups in collaboration with online accomplices identified by aliases including Dr. Ibrahim, Madam Salim, Kathinji Mwendwa, and Chart GPT, through which unsuspecting members of the public were duped into purchasing the fake papers.
In court, Nandafu pleaded for leniency, claiming he had been psychologically affected and framed as the mastermind of the syndicate, insisting on his presumption of innocence.
He was released on a Sh200,000 bond with a surety of a similar amount, or alternatively a cash bail of Sh100,000. The case will be mentioned for pre-trial on November 18, 2025.
Meanwhile, the DCI and KNEC have intensified a joint crackdown on individuals and syndicates involved in the sale of counterfeit examination materials.
The agencies have also warned the public against engaging with fraudsters purporting to sell genuine examination papers, emphasizing that all official KCSE examination materials remain securely protected under strict integrity measures.
– By Timon Otieno
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