KCPE exams kick off as Magoha assures smooth exercise

Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha has assured that security officials are closely monitoring Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) exams, which kicked off Monday morning, to curb any interference.

He said the KCPE exams had kicked off in full gear and all preparations had been put in place to protect the integrity of the exams and avert cases of cheating during the tests.

The start of the KCPE exams marks the end of the end of the academic year of 2021.

The CS said tight security measures had been put in place to ensure KCPE candidates in the bandit prone regions of Baringo, West Pokot, Samburu and Laikipia sit the exams in a secure environment.

Speaking in Kakamega, Prof Magoha said the examinations materials had been transported to the centres without hitch and warned that security officials were on high alert to dealing with cases of reported interference and cheating.

“The first paper is reasonably set because there was no time for interference. I’m asking my officials in the field who are monitoring the exams to focus on the integrity of the second paper as they walk into the exam centres,” said Prof Magoha.

The CS visited Kakamega Primary School and said he would be making random visits to other examination centres in the region to check on the progress of the exams.

In Vihiga County, KCPE examination kicked off to a smooth start in all the 420 centres spread across the county.

County Director of Education Mrs Hellen Nyang'au led the opening of the examination container at Emuhaya DCC offices where head teachers arrived in time to pick day one examination papers and material.

Mrs Nyang'au said 19,857 candidates are sitting the 2021 KCPE examination in the county.

She called on the centre managers, supervisors and invigilators to remain vigilant to curb any irregularities.

She further noted that the education department is partnering with the Ministry of Interior to ensure security and safety of the examination, officers and candidates is upheld during the three-day exercise.

In Kisii County, a KCPE candidate will sit the exam in hospital after she gave birth on Sunday.

Principal Secretary for Early Learning and Basic Education Dr Julius Jwan said the candidate was in good health and prepared to sit the exam.

Dr Jwan asked officers who are manning the 2021 KCPE exams to follow the set guidelines in the administration of the tests.

He spoke while presiding over the opening of the examination container in Kisii town, and said he expected centre managers and security officers to relate well to ensure learners write their exams in a conducive environment.

“We do not expect anything out of the ordinary. We started this process by briefing the regional police commanders when they came to Nairobi. The weather is very good,” Dr Jwan said.

Baringo County Commissioner Abdirisack Jaldesa has confirmed that exam materials have been distributed to all KCPE centres in Baringo with more than 18, 342 candidates in the region sitting for the exam.

While overseeing the distribution of examination materials at a container in Kabarnet, the county commissioner said so far they have not faced any challenges in terms of logistics and personnel.

"We have deployed enough security officers to the exam centers in the border areas in Baringo North and Baringo South sub-counties with more than 297 candidates.

Through village elders, he said they managed to trace all the candidates who had been displaced from their villages by banditry.

“I am elated that all the candidates who were relocated from the porous areas to safer exam centres have been traced and they are being provided with food and boarding facilities until they complete the tests,” said Mr Jaldesa.

More than 15 centres in the banditry prone areas in the region have been merged in consideration of the safety of learners.

In West Pokot, the examination container opening and material distribution kicked off at 6am on Monday in Kapenguria without hitches.

The county security team, led by West Pokot County Commissioner Apollo Okello, was present to supervise the exercise, assuring that security had been beefed up in the whole county.

Mr Okello said security officers have been deployed to hot spot areas along the West Pokot and Elgeyo Marakwet borders.

“I want to give an assurance that we have adequate security personnel and extra security officers who are undertaking patrol in troubled areas. We don’t expect any problem or any challenge during this exercise,” said Mr Okello.

Mr Okello wished candidates well, stating that they have been well prepared.

“We hope that they will perform well,” he said.

The Ministry of Education confirmed that all the necessary preparations have been put in place to ensure there are no hitches as candidates sit the exams.

4,150 candidates are sitting the KCPE examination in 165 schools in the county, West Pokot sub county education director Charles Imanyara said.

“We have few girls, 2,100 sitting the exam. We have the private sector where 25 candidates are doing exams in Makutamo primary,” he said.

Mr. Imanyara said that there are no weather challenges as has been the case in the area in past years.

According to the education officer, teen pregnancy cases in the county had gone down.

“We laud chiefs, parents and teachers for the sensitization they have done,” said Mr Imanyara.