Attempt to leak chemistry paper stopped

Tight security as KCSE candidates at Mama Ngina Girls High School prepare to write their English Paper One exam in Mombasa County. [Gideon Maundu, Standard]

 

A school principal in Trans Nzoia is facing interdiction after attempting to open a chemistry paper on Monday.

This emerged even as 76 candidates failed to write the KCSE examination in Turkana County on Monday due to insecurity concerns.

Kenya National Examination Council Chief Executive Mercy Karogo confirmed the teacher had been replaced by the deputy as investigations continued. She however said no exam was leaked.

The Teacher’s Service Commission has authorised the start of a disciplinary process of the teacher.

According to Turkana County education director Pius Ong’oma, the candidates, all South Sudanese, feared for their safety after five students and a security guard were killed at Lokichogio Mixed Secondary School last month.

“The insecurity along the borders has forced candidates not to cross the borders. We communicated on phone and made them aware of exams but they did not turn up,” Mr Ong’oma said.

A student identified as Abragam Lojore from South Sudan was behind the killings. He was lynched by a mob that stormed Kakuma police station.

Three other students were said to have taken part in the attacks which saw some girls raped.

County commissioner Seif Matata led top county security bosses and Government officials to the school where he urged residents not to attack refugees.

Kakuma is home to thousands of refugees from South Sudan and other countries.

Elsewhere, Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang’ has called for calm to enable students sit their exams.

Kipsang was speaking at Precious Blood Girls Riruta after witnessing the opening of Functional English paper.

The PS had earlier witnessed the opening and collection of examination scripts at Dagoretti sub-county headquarters at 6am. He then left for Nembu Girls.

He was accompanied by Deputy Commissioner Joseph Mwangi and the regional coordinator for Education John Olo-oltua.

Candidates yesterday also sat English comprehension, literary appreciation and grammar.

Kipsang’ said the Government had safeguarded the examinations against leakage to create a level playing field for all candidates across the country.

The exams entered day two with no major hitches despite heavy rains experienced in Rift Valley region.

Rift Valley Education Director Mary Gituru said several roads had been submerged with water causing a delay in distribution of examination papers in some centres.

Transportation challenges

The most affected areas are Turkana, Baringo, Samburu and Laikipia counties.

In Turkana, the Ministry of Education has stationed a chopper to ferry papers in affected examination centres.

“There is no major issue reported in the region apart from transportation challenges caused by heavy rains,” said Ms Gituru.

She added that the ministry was also working closely with county governments to provide vehicles to transport examination papers in areas with poor terrain.

In Naivasha the sub-county security committee was forced to hire four-wheel-drive vehicles to ferry examination papers following heavy rains pounding the lakeside town.

[Report by Bakari Ang’ela, Augustine Oduor, Mercy Kahenda and Antony Gitonga]