KCPE, KPSEA exams begin nationwide

The last Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examinations and the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) kicked off to a smooth start in various parts of the country on Monday with senior government officials monitoring the exercise.

President William Ruto was at Kikuyu Township Primary School in Kiambu County when the KCPE candidates started writing their mathematics paper in the morning.

He was accompanied by Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu, Kiambu governor Kimani Wamatangi and Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichungwa’h, among other leaders. The Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi was at St George’s Primary School in Nairobi.

Dr Ruto said that all the learners will get places in secondary schools and dismissed a proposal to increase fees for secondary school students.

However, some regions faced logistical challenges due to the ongoing rains and insecurity in some parts of the country.

Examination officials braced early morning rains in most parts of the Coast as they went to pick the examination papers. Regional education director Luke Chebet said the rains did not affect the distribution and that helicopters were on stand-by.

Mr Mudavadi said the government will look into ways of increasing public primary and secondary schools since the few ones are burdened with accommodating learners beyond their capacity.

Acting director of Primary Education, Stephen Barongo said the examination supervision will include primary school examinations being overseen by teachers from secondary schools and vice versa

In Lamu, 32 candidates from various schools in the terror-prone Boni Forest had been airlifted in advance to Faza Primary school where they are sitting their examinations.

The candidates for both KCPE and KPSEA are from Kiangwe, Milimani, Basuba, Mangai and Mararani primary schools, all in Lamu East Sub-County and were airlifted by military helicopters. 

About four examination centres in villages that witnessed recent attacks and killings in Lamu West Sub-County had to be relocated to other centres away from their remote villages. The schools include Juhudi, Salama, Holy Angels Primary and Pandanguo Primary School.

Also relocated were candidates from some parts of troubled Samburu West. Some of the examination centres that were affected include Lorian, Pura, Siampu and Soit Pus primary schools. The national tests started amid fears of bandit attacks in some parts of the county.

In Nakuru, Basic Education PS Belio Kipsang supervised the opening and distribution of examination papers at the Nakuru East Deputy County Commissioner's offices and thereafter, inspected a few other centres in the region. He warned centre managers and teachers against engaging in examination malpractices.

Rift Valley Regional Commissioner Dr Abdi Hassan, said security has been beefed up in insecurity prone areas of Samburu, Elgeyo-Marakwet, West Pokot and Baringo counties. The Nation established that the military, Rapid Deployment Unit, the General Service Unit and Anti Stock Theft Unit are offering additional security in parts of Baringo and Samburu counties.

In Garissa, at least five security officers were killed hours before the national examinations kicked off after their vehicles were hit by an explosive planted on the road by suspected Al-Shabaab militants.

County Commissioner Solomon Chesut said the incident happened at about 6am as the team was patrolling the Dadaab-Fafi road.

The officers were from Ege Dam GSU camp. The injured officers have since been flown to Nairobi. “These officers were not part of the team deployed to secure the examinations,” Mr Chesut said.

In Mandera and Wajir, six helicopters, two for each county have been put on stand-by. Defence Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale warned against cheating. He spoke at Kahawa Garrison Primary School yesterday where he supervised the administration of the exams.

Some areas of the Mt Kenya region faced mobility challenges owing to heavy rains. A police lorry which was ferrying exam materials to Lower Thangatha in Tigania East constituency, Meru county was stuck along Mikinduri, Kunati -Gacibine road, with area DCC Jackton Oriengy saying they were trying to address the challenge.

In Nyeri, county education director Jane Njogu asked centre managers to allow unregistered candidates sit the examinations in accordance to a directive issued by the Education CS. There were no major issues reported in Kirinyaga and Tharaka-Nithi counties.

In the Western and Nyanza regions, security has been beefed up in some parts of Kisumu perceived to be hot spots for clashes. 

Siaya education director Leonard Kabaki said one candidate had been admitted at Ugunja Sub-county and will sit exams at the facility.

Kakamega county police commander Joseph Kigen asked parents and other stakeholders who have no business with the examinations to stay away from the centres.

Three helicopters have been deployed to distribute examination material to insecure, flood-prone and hard-to-reach areas in Turkana and West Pokot counties.

Reporting by Mercy Simiyu, Simon Ciuri, Kalume Kazungu, Winnie Atieno, Stephen Oduor, Cece Siago, Maureen Ongalo, Lucy Mkanyika, Geoffrey Ondieki, Mercy Koskei, Tobias Meso, John Njoroge, Vitalis Kimutai, Manase Otsialo, Steve Otieno, Gitonga Marete, George Munene, Alex Njeru, Mercy Mwende, Sammy Lutta, Titus Ominde, Oscar Kakai, Evans Jaola, Wycliffe Nyaberi, Elizabeth Ojina, George Odiwuor, Shaban Makokha and Kassim Adinasi