Security tightened as Grade 6, Grade 9 exams set to start Monday
Candidates at Manyatta Primary School in Kisumu County take their Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) exam paper in October 29, 2024.
With the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) and Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA) for Grade 6 and Grade 9, respectively, set to begin on Monday, schools across the country have completed rehearsals as education and security officials finalise preparations for the exercise.
Friday’s rehearsals involved briefing candidates on examination procedures, organising examination rooms and preparing invigilators, while security agencies stepped up measures to prevent malpractice and ensure learners’ safety.
In Uasin Gishu, County Commissioner Eddyson Nyale assured candidates, parents and school administrators of their safety, warning unauthorised members of the public to keep away from examination centres.
“The county security team has put in place robust measures to ensure a secure and peaceful environment throughout the assessment period,” Dr Nyale said.
County Director of Education David Koech reported a successful turnout during Friday’s rehearsals, saying all registered candidates participated.
“All is well, and we are anticipating a 100 percent turnout on Monday following a successful rehearsal across the county,” Mr Koech said.
An invigilator distributes question papers to Grade Six learners at Michinda Boys Day and Boarding School in Elburgon, Nakuru County, during the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment on October 28, 2024.
The Kenya Private Schools Association also commended the Ministry of Education for creating a supportive environment for candidates and examination officials from both public and private schools.
“As private schools, we are happy with the preparations and the supportive environment provided by the Ministry of Education to prepare our candidates for this year’s assessment,” said Willy Mbote, director of Achievers Academy in Kapseret Sub-County.
In Trans Nzoia, schools conducted rehearsals under the supervision of centre managers and teachers as candidates prepared for the assessments.
At Mary Immaculate Primary School, 157 candidates are expected to sit the KPSEA, while 186 learners will undertake the KJSEA. Candidates at Kitale School also went through rehearsals ahead of Monday’s start.
Trans Nzoia County Director of Education Pamela Akello said security arrangements had been put in place to safeguard the exercise.
In Turkana, authorities are paying particular attention to schools in areas prone to banditry, with education officials working alongside security teams to ensure candidates can sit their assessments safely.
County Director of Education Henry Lubanga said candidates in unsafe areas would, where necessary, be transported to secure examination centres.
“Candidates in unsafe places will be assured of adequate security, with some instances forcing us to transport candidates to safe exam centres. The means of transport and personnel have been mobilised. The personnel have been briefed and parents have been engaged to avail their children for the exam/assessment,” Dr Lubanga said.
He added that examination containers had been strategically distributed across the county to prevent delays in delivering assessment materials.
At Korinyang Mixed Boarding and Junior Secondary School in Aroo Sub-County, the management has teamed up with local administrators to trace candidates who have missed school because of gold-mining activities at Kalomwae and other sites along the border.
Head teacher Mahammud Abdullahi said the mining activities had affected enrolment across grades, with upper classes, including those with candidates sitting the assessments, among the most affected.
“The school has really suffered in terms of enrolment due to gold-mining activities. The dropout is across all the grades, with upper ones, including those with candidates, being the most affected,” he said.
In Baringo, County Director of Education Kipruto Kosgei said preparations were progressing well, with more than 17,226 candidates expected to sit the KJSEA in over 523 centres.
He said candidates were being briefed on how to conduct themselves during the assessment and arranged in their examination rooms, while invigilators and other officials were also being prepared for their duties.
“We are briefing the candidates on how they are supposed to conduct themselves during the assessment and arranging them in their examination rooms,” Dr Kosgei said.
Learners at Mount St Mary's Girls Primary School in Molo, Nakuru County, take their Mathematics paper during the Competence-Based-Curriculum assessment.
He added that vehicles had been mobilised to ensure assessment materials reached all centres.
In Nakuru, schools reported successful rehearsals, with candidates being guided on examination procedures and the correct way to fill in their answer sheets.
At Roots Academy, Deputy Principal Cleophas Mutai said 348 candidates in the primary section would sit the KPSEA. They have been distributed across 17 classrooms, each accommodating 20 or 21 learners.
Mr Mutai said candidates had been guided on how to complete their answer sheets, while their assessment numbers and names had been displayed on their lockers.
“We have prepared them well. And we are hoping that next week, as they will be starting their exams, we are very hopeful that they will perform. We have prepared them according to the standard that the NEC requires. That is 1.5 metres by 1. All our learners are present,” he said.
At Radiance Academy, 138 of the 139 registered KPSEA candidates attended rehearsals. School director Mercy Kibe said the school had conducted revisions and practical sessions to prepare learners.
“We have done enough revisions and practicals and we expect over 80 percent of our learners to post the highest results,” she said.
At St Mary’s Comprehensive School, 177 candidates are expected to undertake the assessments.
Nakuru County Commissioner Loyford Kibaara said managers at the county’s 480 examination centres had been sensitised on the need to uphold integrity and prevent malpractice.
He said the National Government Administration Officers, National Police Service and Teachers Service Commission were ready to support the exercise.
“Good management of national examinations will depend on the integrity of the personnel involved in security, supervision and invigilation since they are in direct contact with the candidates. Every examination centre will be manned by at least two armed officers,” Dr Kibaara said.
Pupils write their exams.
In Bomet, County Director of Education Leonard Ngugi said rehearsals had been conducted without incident across the county’s five sub-counties: Chepalungu, Bomet Central, Bomet East, Sotik and Konoin.
In Murang’a, the County Security and Intelligence Committee directed field officers to compile lists of missing candidates and provide information on emergencies that could disrupt the examinations.
County Commissioner Hassan Bule said the information would help authorities respond to cases requiring the relocation of centres, candidates sitting assessments in hospitals or justice holding centres, and threats to security.
“We want data that will help us facilitate and secure the exams. We want to know any emergency like that of a missing candidate, tragedies that might need relocation of centres, health emergencies that might call for sitting of the exams in hospitals or justice holding centres and threat of insecurity,” Mr Bule said.
He said the National Examinations Council, national government administrators, police, county government and village security committees had formed a multi-agency team to support the exercise.
Murang’a has registered 25,334 KJSEA candidates in 567 centres and 24,093 KPSEA candidates in 618 centres. The county also has 32,487 KCSE candidates sitting their examinations in 336 centres.
In Meru, 37,301 candidates are registered for KPSEA in 954 centres, while 35,670 will sit the KJSEA in 827 centres.
At the Coast, Kilifi has the highest number of KJSEA candidates, with 49,602 learners registered in 680 public and private examination centres.
Kwale follows with 26,425 candidates, while Mombasa has 22,608. Taita Taveta has 9,022 candidates, Tana River 5,937 and Lamu 4,064.
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Reporting by Titus Ominde, Barnabas Bii, Evans Jaola, Sammy Lutta and Flora Koech, Mercy Koskei, Joseph Openda, Fabiola Akinyi and Vitalis Kimutai, Mwangi Muiruri, Winnie Atieno and David Muchui.
