Thirteen-year old gang 'member' in Meru sat KPSEA at police station
Tigania East police boss Peter Karanja addresses the press in his office at Muthara market, Meru County where a 13-year old pupil is being held on burglary charges.
A 13-year old Grade Six pupil facing burglary charges is among more than 2000 who sat the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) in Tigania East, Meru County.
Area education officer Yattani Dabasosaru said the Ncuui Primary school pupil did his exams at Muthara Police Station and had completed all the papers.
The boy is said to have been arrested by police who had responded to a distress call after an armed gang broke into homes in Luuma village and stole household goods.
Other gang members who were older than the pupil fled the scene but the boy was caught red-handed with some of the suspected stolen items.
“Since the boy is small, he was being used to access some narrow spaces and far corners to retrieve items they were stealing. He is facing charges but we ensured that he sits his exams,” he said.
Mr Dabasosaru said the court had recommended that the boy be taken to a borstal institution.
The official said 60 KCPE candidates did not showed up for the exams, while most of the Grade Six had been accounted for following an extensive grassroots mobilization exercise.
He said only 200 KPSEA candidates from seven schools that were closed during Covid-19 who were thought to have transferred to other institutions and their details would be established after the exams.
Mr Dabasosaru urged parents to take good care of their children during the long holiday so that they do not engage in crime or wayward behavior.
“We have asked school heads to give pupils some homework so that they do not forget about learning,” he said.
