Nairobi — Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu has refuted claims by Azimio La Umoja One Kenya leader Raila Odinga that cancellation of the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examinations printing tender to a UK firm is to blame for irregularities in the recently released results.

Machogu while appearing before the Education committee in parliament said that national examinations printing tenders are awarded annually.

''We have not terminated anybody's contract. Each and every year a contract is made,'' he said.

He maintained that Kenya is competent enough just like any other country to print examination papers locally.

The Education CS averred due process which was followed when awarding the exams printing tender and that his ministry did not break any law.

Machogu however acknowledged that the company contacted to manage the QR code used for relaying and accessing the KCPE results failed to conform to the KNEC standards, a factor that led to candidates having issues with getting their results.

''As a CS I have learnt lessons because basically you can see as a ministry everything was right. Somebody we can call an outsider was given the contract but did not really conform and do to the required standard. Moving forward when we release the KCSE examinations we will not be able to make use of the same service provider,'' he added.

Odinga had on Wednesday alleged that the government illegally revoked the printing tender from a UK based firm to a printer based in Mombasa road and later to India.

''We have established that early this year, the Kenya Kwanza administration suddenly and abruptly stopped this contact because the UK firm refused to give kickbacks. Without following any legal procurement processes, due diligence procedures and attention to examination timelines, the Kenya Kwanza administration awarded the KCPE and KCSE exam printing contract to a politically correct printing company based in Mombasa road,'' Odinga said.