Poor roads delay delivery of KCPE examination papers

By Standard Team

Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examination kicked off on Tuesday without hitches save for some delays due to heavy rains and bad roads.

Examination invigilators and transporters said most roads in Narok South, North and Transmara districts were impassable in the morning.

In areas bordering Masai Mara Game Reserve in Narok South and Transmara districts, elephants delayed the start of the exercise. KWS rangers had to be called to disperse them.

Heavy rains pounded Emarti, Kirindoni, Lolgorian, Kiwai, Lipidongoe and Ongata Barikoi areas of Transmara on Monday evening.

In Narok North bad roads delayed delivery of examination papers to Melili, Olokurto, Olpusimoru, Entiani, Oloropil and Enoosupukia areas.

And a candidate is doing his exams in a police cell at Rumuruti Police Station in Laikipia West District after he was arrested for allegedly murdering his cousin on Monday.

The 16-year-old pupil at Ol Jabet Primary School was arrested together with his mother on suspicion of killing the Standard Seven pupil in the same school.

A shortage of exam papers was reported at Orongo Primary School in Kadibo Division, Kisumu East District. Education Officer Jane Mtange said 21 candidates had to use spare papers packed separately.

Some candidates had to be relocated after schools were flooded following heavy downpour.

Schools flooded

The affected schools included Siany Kabongo, Mbega, and Ohongo, whose candidates were relocated to Arombo, Nyakanana and Masogo primary schools. Ms Mtange said 61 candidates were sitting KCPE at Kibos and Kodiaga prisons.

A candidate from Samburu Primary School, Kinango District, Kwale County, is sitting his exams at the Coast Provincial General Hospital.

Margaret Mwaka Nyange was admitted on October 28 suffering from renal complications, which has made her body parts to swell.

In Naivasha, 39 inmates including a death row convict and their 13 counterparts at Murang’a Prison are sitting the papers. In Kigumo and Kandara districts, high-powered vehicles were used to transport examination papers following heavy downpour.

District Education Officers Charles Manyala (Kandara) and Humphrey Kirunja (Kigumo) said all measures had been taken to ensure examination papers reach centers early.

In Nakuru, 29 prisoners at the Nakuru GK Prison were among 197,551 candidates sitting the examination.

Officer in charge of the prisons education programme, Mr Kennedy Mwambua, said two of the candidates who skipped the examination were out on bond while another one had been released.

Rift Valley Provincial Director of Education Beatrice Adu said one candidate fell sick while another one delivered before the examination.

In North Rift, seven prisoners from Ngeria Prison are sitting the exams.The examination was delayed in some schools in Eldoret East District due to rains.

"In some centres examination was delayed for 30 minutes. It started at around 9am instead of 8am as required because cars ferrying examination papers got stuck along the way," said area DEO Kalemba Simiyu. In Nandi County, 56 adults will sit the examination at Kapserton Adult and Continuing Centre in Nandi North.

Security beefed up

North Rift deputy PC Wilson Wanyange said security has been beefed up in Turkana to prevent banditry.

He added: "Candidates relocated to safe examination centres started their examination well."

Invigilators at Sitoka Primary School in Lolgorian Transmara had to swim across a flooded river to deliver the examination materials.

The DEO, Margaret Lesuuda, said incidents of examination materials mix-up delayed the examination.

The exams meant for Ntulele, Oloisokut, Kiribwet, Ainamoi and Emarti centres were taken to Mashangwa centres more than 40km away.

At Kakamega Main Prison, 25 remandees were among this year’s KCPE candidates including five women.

At Borstal Rehabilitation Institution in Shikusa, 41 candidates are sitting the examination.

"As a rehabilitation centre we have trained and taught them as the Ministry of Education states and we have no doubt that the results will be excellent," said Chief Officer John Koech.

In Kisii, a mother of a Form Two student is among 62 adults sitting this year’s KCPE exams in the district.

In the same class is Mr Charles Oyugi Ngoge, 54, who dropped out of school in 1979.

Ngoge, who has eight children, said he hopes to pass the exams and go to secondary school.