28 terror-prone Boni Forest candidates airlifted to Faza to sit exams
Lamu County Commissioner Irungu Macharia says 28 Grade 6 candidates from five schools in terror-prone Boni forest have been airlifted to Faza Secondary where they will be sitting their KPSEA exam from today.
A total of 28 Grade 6 candidates from terror-prone Boni Forest in Lamu County were on Monday airlifted using a military chopper to Faza Secondary , where they will be sitting their Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) exams.
Lamu County Commissioner Irungu Macharia said the learners are from the five Boni Forest primary schools of Basuba, Milimani, Mangai, Mararani, and Kiangwe.
Speaking when he led security and education officials in opening the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) and KPSEA exam container at the Deputy County Commissioner’s office in Lamu Old Town, Mr Macharia said the security department has ensured enough security to the candidate throughout the examination period.
Mr Macharia said security officers had been assigned the duty to guard exam centres and wished all the candidates success in their examinations.
“All places in Lamu, including those that previously witnessed insecurity incidents from Al-Shabaab like Boni Forest and Kiunga on the Kenya-Somalia border are well secured, so that candidates can do the exams uninterrupted. We have also coordinated with the KDF and other security units in Boni Forest and airlifted 28 Grade 6 learners from there to Faza secondary together with eight teachers. They will stay in Faza until they complete their exams,” said Mr Macharia.
Lamu County Education Director Joshua Kaaga said a total of 3,660 candidates were taking the KCPE examination in Lamu this year where 1,879 are boys while 1,781 are girls.
Those sitting for KPSEA examination are 3,873 learners, where 2,025 are boys while 1,848 are girls.
The county has 93 KCPE examination centres and 98 KPSEA centres.
On the other hand, Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu has assured Kenyans that this year's Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE), Grade 6 tests and the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) will not be comprised.
Mr Machogu said everything is set for this year's national exams.
"We will make sure there is no cheating in any of our schools, we have put necessary efforts to ensure that," he added.
Speaking in Mombasa during the opening of the KCPE and Grade 6 assessment test, the CS said there is a standby helicopter to dispatch the tests in areas where there are challenges.
"We have 493 exams distribution centres countrywide. Each centre has a manager and the tests have been dispatched to the respective schools. All security personnel are in place," said the CS.
Regional cordinator Mr John Elungata said all measures have been put in place to ensure safety of learners.
