Merger of exam centres sparks uproar in bandit-prone region

The Ministry of Education’s merger of examination centres with less than 30 candidates has sparked uproar in bandit-prone areas in the Rift Valley.

Parents are concerned about the safety of learners who have to walk for several kilometres to neighbouring exam centres.

Following the directive, candidates in more than 200 primary and secondary schools will sit their national tests in neighbouring schools in April.

The new regulation was effected after the High Court upheld the decision by Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) to have the centres merged to improve security and address transportation issues.

Mr David Kago had challenged the decision on grounds that there was no public participation and that parents were not engaged prior to the directive in July last year. He was also dissatisfied with Knec’s decision to issue multiple and contradictory circulars on the merger between May and July last year.

Justice Anthony Mrima, however, dismissed the petition, citing the petitioner’s failure to challenge a circular that was issued in July last year, saying it was sufficient to provide guidelines on the merging of the centres.

Knec said the move would improve safety of candidates and examiners, reduce rising administrative costs and maintain test integrity.

The merger, Knec argued, was also influenced by a shortage of police officers, prompting them to seek the help of National Youth Service (NYS) servicemen to provide security.

However, parents in the affected schools questioned how the ministry arrived at the decision to merge centres that are more than seven kilometres apart.

For instance, candidates at Kosile Primary School in the volatile Baringo North will now be forced to trek to the neighbouring N’garatuko primary, more than eight kilometres away, to sit their KCPE examinations.

Due to incessant attacks that saw the killing of a villager by armed criminals a fortnight ago, learning has been paralysed in the two schools, which have 24 and 16 candidates, respectively.

Ng’aratuko Primary School chairman, Mr Francis Chebotibin, said locals have fled to the safer Chebarsiat, Kiptingting’ion and Arusin villages for fear of more attacks from bandits.

“Learning has been affected in the two centres that are supposed to be merged during the national examination. We do not even know where the 40 candidates are because locals fled to different directions following a recent attack that saw the killing of a local,” said Mr Chebotibin.

The chairman wondered how learners from Kosile Primary School would walk for eight kilometres in the deserted villages to the examination centre.

“The government is unfair to our children in the porous borders. How do they expect them to traverse several kilometres for an exam amid the presence of armed criminals who even kill security officers? Learning has been affected in the same schools due to banditry,” he added.

Mr Joshua Changwony, a parent, complained that the host centre does not have boarding facilities to accommodate the learners for the three days of examination period.

“If these children have to walk every day, will they be given adequate security in the morning and back home in the evening? If they will spend the three days in the host centre, how safe are they considering that all the villages adjacent to the school are harbouring bandits?” posed Mr Changwony.

Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) Marakwet branch executive secretary John Cheberi accused the government of being insensitive to teachers and learners in Kerio Valley.

“What the government should do is to increase the centres because this will minimise the chances of being attacked. By merging centres, candidates and exam administrators will be exposed to attacks,” he said.

Mr Cheberi said bandits have been ambushing motorists along the roads and since there are no adequate houses for teachers in schools, travelling to trading centres for accommodation would be risky.

National Parents Association chairperson Nicholas Maiyo said the planned merger should be complemented with enough security.

“What is important is for the government to provide enough security because merging the centres without security will neither help the candidates nor the teacher,” he said.

In Baringo, Rormoch Primary school’s eight candidates will sit their exams at Yatya Primary, which has 20 candidates. Barketiew Primary learners will be hosted by Bartabwa Primary, more than 10kms away.

Candidates in the volatile Baringo South will also face similar challenges.

Among schools that have been hard hit by insecurity and will be hosted by other centres include Kapindasum, Arabal, Kasiela, Sinoni, Tuiyotich, Kapkechir Primary and Tuiyotich Secondary school.

Learning at Kapindasum Primary was paralysed for the better part of last year, and pupils had to relocate to the neighbouring Chemoringion Primary.

“How will our children sit for their national examinations in the deserted areas turned battlefields and expected to compete with their counterparts countrywide? To worsen the situation, they are also expected to walk for kilometres to the host centres which are already the bandits’ paradise,” said Mr Paul Kipyemat, a local from the war-torn Arabal in Baringo South.

“Parents have moved to far villages with their children. How will they be traced to the examination centres. Where will they stay and who will take care of them when the security officers deployed in the area are also being targeted by the same criminals,” he added.

More than 20 primary and secondary schools in Baringo North and Baringo South have been closed due to violence that has led to the killing of nine people.

Mr Judah Losutan, an elder from Nginyang’ in Tiaty West, raised fears that the directive would force several candidates in the region to miss the national examinations.

He indicated that most schools in Tiaty are more than 30kms away and there was no way a parent would allow them to walk for such distances.

“Toplen Primary has less than 15 candidates and Nakoko Primary, which also has 12, is more than 20kms away. Are they expecting our children to walk all the way? They want to sabotage learning in the pastoralist communities by giving such skewed directives,” said Mr Losutan.

Some of the schools in Tiaty Sub-County that have low enrolment are Akwichatis, Toplen, Kositei, Katikit, Lokis, Nakoko, Chesakam, Riong’o, Komolion and Chepkalacha.

Rift Valley Regional commissioner Mohamed Maalim said the government will conduct an operation in Tiaty West where suspected bandits who attacked the Tot Secondary learners on Thursday night are believed to be hiding.

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