A police officer guarding national examination papers in Turkana County was shot dead at dawn on Monday, and his gun was stolen, sparking alarm among officials and raising serious security concerns over the safety of officials handling the materials.
The officer was manning a container with the Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA) and Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination papers at the Turkana East Deputy County Commissioner’s office in Lokori town when he was shot dead by an unknown attacker early Monday morning.
The incident sparked tension among examination centre managers, who arrived later to collect the papers.
Deputy County Commissioner Moses Karwigi confirmed that the firearm stolen in the 4:30am attack has not yet been recovered. He said that the container had not been tampered with.
“The container was being manned by two armed police officers. According to a colleague, the attackers fired once, killing the officer on the spot and stealing his gun,” Mr Karwigi said.
He said additional police officers had been deployed to ensure the safety of the examination materials and officials, and to strengthen efforts to recover the stolen firearm.
“Our intelligence team is working closely with members of the public living near the Deputy County Commissioner’s office to trace the gun and arrest the attackers,” Mr Karwigi said.
According to a police report, the officer who was with the deceased heard a single gunshot, immediately took cover, and, after several attempts to check on his colleague with no response, discovered him dead and his AK-47 rifle missing.
The body of the officer has been taken to Lodwar County and Referral Hospital, where it awaits a postmortem.
Meanwhile, four inmates from Lodwar GK Prison are among the 1,546 candidates sitting the KCSE examinations in Turkana Central Sub-County.
St. Kevin's Secondary School in Lodwar town, where the inmates are in a separate classroom, has 149 registered candidates, including 57 girls, and also hosts 26 private candidates in another class.
At Lodwar County Referral Hospital, one candidate is sitting the KCSE exams alongside two Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA) candidates completing their tests today.
Turkana Central Deputy County Commissioner Thomas Siele and Sub-County Director of Education Wilson Serem, who opened the examinations container at the Deputy County Commissioner’s office and distributed exams to KJSEA and KCSE centre managers, pledged to conduct random visits to ensure compliance with Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) regulations.
“We have instructed centre managers to follow all KNEC regulations to the letter to avoid irregularities. Mobile phones are not allowed in examination rooms,” Mr Siele said.
Each examination centre has been allocated at least two police officers, unlike KJSEA and KPSEA centres, where no security officers were deployed.
According to County Director of Education Kipruto Kosgei, more than 13,904 candidates are sitting the national exams, with materials distributed twice daily from 19 containers. He said security officers have been deployed to escort centre managers to the examination centres.
According to Dr Kosgei, normalcy has returned to previously insecure areas, allowing all candidates to sit their national papers without fear.
“We have not experienced any challenges, even in flood-prone areas of Baringo South,” he said.
One candidate from Baringo Central is sitting her papers at a health facility after giving birth overnight.
In Trans Nzoia County, examinations started smoothly with all centres opening on time. Spot checks at several schools showed a quiet and conducive environment.
Exam centre managers collected papers safely at the County Commissioner’s office in Kitale for Trans Nzoia West Sub-County schools, and at the Waitaluk Assistant County Commissioner’s office for Kiminini Sub-County schools. They were accompanied by security officers, while education officials maintained vigilance to ensure a smooth exercise.
At St Antony Boys High School, Senior Principal Simon Masibo reported that all the registered 647 candidates were taking the exam. At Goseta Boys High School, 212 candidates were present, while 31 candidates were sitting at St Patrick's Waitaluk Boys Secondary School.
Trans Nzoia County Education Director Dr Pamela Akello said 25,800 candidates, including 12,875 girls and 12,820 boys, are sitting exams in public schools, with a further 9,070 candidates in private institutions.
“The exams have started well, security is sufficient, and all candidates are sitting their papers without any challenges,” she said.
In neighboring West Pokot, where 13,617 candidates are sitting the exams, County Education Director Magara Nduso, who opened the containers in Kapenguria, said measures are in place to deal with cheating, insecurity, and disruptions from heavy rains, floods, or landslides.
“We will ensure exam materials reach all locations, including remote areas, and that every candidate sits their papers,” he said, urging officers to maintain vigilance and uphold exam integrity.
“We have sufficient vehicles, supervisors, and invigilators, including four double-cabin vehicles in remote areas,” he said.
