Three candidates in South Rift sit KCPE in hospitals after giving birth

Three Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examination candidates from the South Rift are sitting their tests in various hospitals after they gave birth on Monday.

One of the candidates aged 15 is sitting her exams at the Nakuru Level Five Hospital after she gave birth to a boy on Monday morning.

Nakuru County Director of Education Fredrick Osewe said the girl started developing labour pains earlier in the day and was rushed to the hospital.

“The candidate is reported to have developed labour pains in the morning and was taken to the Nakuru Level Five Hospital where she gave birth,” said Mr Osewe.

Another candidate gave birth at the Kericho County Referral Hospital while the third, who is from Narok, gave birth at a Nakuru hospital.

Exam officials deployed

Mr Osewe revealed that proper arrangements have been made to enable the three candidates sit for their examinations from the hospitals where they are admitted.

“We have made arrangements and deployed examination officials including security officers to ensure the three do the examination,” said Mr Osewe.

Rift Valley Regional Coordinator George Natembeya Monday supervised the opening and distribution of KCPE examination papers at the Nakuru Town West deputy county commissioner's offices at 6am before inspecting a number of other centres in the region.

The administrator said that 330,000 candidates are sitting the KCPE examination in the 14 counties of the Rift Valley region. He said the government has put in place elaborate measures to ensure the safety and fidelity of the examination across the region.

"The government has deployed massive security in various examination centres across the region, as the exams kick off, including in insecurity prone areas of Samburu North and Baringo. The security officers deployed at the various centres will ensure that the exercise runs smoothly," said Mr Natembeya.

Pregnant candidates

And in Embu County, at least 50 pregnant candidates are sitting their KCPE exams.

The candidates are among 16,270 Standard Eight learners who registered for the examination in the region

According to the County Education Director James Kairu, the girls have been prepared well for the examination.

"We made sure that the girls are at the examination centres to write their examinations," he said.

Delivered at home

Mr Kairu further revealed that 29 other girls have delivered while at their homes but have been allowed to sit the examination which kicked off Monday morning.

"All those girls who have given birth are also doing examinations as per the directive of the government. None of the girls have been locked out," he added.

Mr Kariuki said girls who were impregnated when schools closed last year due to Covid-19 pandemic must be assisted to continue with their education.

Prisoners

Additionally, 13 prisoners are sitting the national examination in Embu County.

The prisoners, who are all male, are writing the examination at Embu GK Prison.

Embu West Sub-County Education Director Peter Njoroge said the inmates are serving their jail terms after they were found guilty of various criminal offences.

"They showed interests to learn and registered and this morning they are doing examination together with other candidates across the region," he said.

Mr Njoroge said the prisoners had been prepared well by their teachers.

And in Kirinyaga County, 14,274 candidates are sitting the KCPE examination.

The examination kicked off smoothly at 8am.

Security was tight at all examination centres to ensure there are no cases of cheating

County Commissioner Jim Njoka said the government is on high alert in order to ensure that the examination is done without any interference.

Reporting by Eric Matara, George Munene