Bandits burn exam papers in raid

Bandits attacked and set ablaze a vehicle with Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examination papers in Turkana on Monday.

A police officer was injured in the attack as the vehicle transported examination papers for 25 candidates at Kapedo Mixed Secondary School.

Eight policemen in the vehicle alongside civilians fled.

Turkana Woman Representative Joyce Emanikor said the vehicle was attacked at Kasarani between Lomelo and Kapedo Trading Centre.

“We received the news while celebrating Mashujaa Day at Lokori. We were so shocked. The news came before President Kenyatta’s speech was read,” Mrs Emanikor said.

She said tension was high in the region bordering Baringo County, which she termed as “very insecure”. This will have a major impact on the candidates’ performance.”

The legislator lamented: “Villagers are staying indoors. Any vehicle is shot at. Business has been hardest hit with a serious food shortage looming.”

The incident comes a day after four schools on the Turlkana-Baringo counties border were closed due to frequent bandit attacks.

Kapedo Mixed Primary School headteacher Joseph Emoit Ekorukou was admitted to St Luke’s Hospital in Eldoret after he was attacked on Friday. This was followed by a major protest by 29 teachers who vowed not to report to work until the issue of insecurity was addressed.
The hardest hit schools are Kapedo Mixed Secondary, Kapedo Girls Primary, Lomelo Primary and Kapedo Mixed Primary.

The 25 candidates at the Kapedo Mixed, whose exam papers were burnt in the attack are currently under the protection of heavily armed General Service Unit personnel.

AIRLIFT

Turkana County Director of Education Nichodemus Anyang said he would consult the Kenya National Examinations Council (Knec) on whether to airlift fresh papers or relocate the candidates to a safer area in Lokori.

Kapedo Mixed Secondary head teacher Daniel Namunwa said the incident had traumatised his candidates. Last year, Silale Primary headteacher and a Standard Five pupil at Kapedo Mixed Primary were shot at by bandits, who also shot at Kapedo Mixed Secondary bus in the school compound.

Kapedo member of the County Assembly Dydimus Chegem says the area is unsafe. “Residents require police escort to fetch water, firewood or go to the market,” he said.

Meanwhile, Knec acting chief executive officer Joseph Kivilu said the 485,547 candidates would not be allowed to use clipboards as has been the norm after claims that the candidates had been using them to cheat.

“We are set for this examination and we assure all candidates all measures have been put in place to ensure they sit this examination in a conducive environment,” said Dr Kivilu.

He said the council had dispatched the examination papers and other materials to over 1,000 distribution centres across the country. Some 14,936 security officers have been deployed across the country.

Knec has contracted 8,188 supervisors, 27,874 invigilators and 1,999 drivers for the exams to be administered in 8,211 examination centres.

Dr Kivilu wants parents and candidates to be aware of people claiming to have examination papers. “Those papers are not genuine,” he said.

This came as candidates across the country put the final touches on their preparations for the exam that begins today. Some 31 subjects will be examined and candidates will sit 74 examination papers.

Additional reports by Elizabeth Merab, Everline Okewo, Angela Oketch, Henry Nyarora, Geoffrey Rono, Elisha Otieno, Charles Wanyoro and Faith Nyamai