Fresh directives as 600,000 sit KCSE tomorrow

Education Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed with candidates from Kenya High School.

Education Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed has issued fresh directives on administration of national examinations as some 664,585 KCSE candidates start theory papers tomorrow.

The CS has banned transportation of examination papers on hired private vehicles in a drastic move to safeguard integrity of the monitoring process.

The CS has instructed all education officials to source vehicles from other government offices or agencies as KCSE written exams kick off tomorrow. Amina also instructed all persons involved in monitoring exams to ensure the exercise is conducted peacefully while observing silence in exam rooms to avoid distracting candidates.

Some 37,978 invigilators will oversee the exams. Another 10,460 supervisors and 10,078 centre managers will be involved in the process.

The Kenya National Examination Council (Knec) also revealed that 20,156 security personnel will be deployed to secure examinations and another 5,000 drivers to transport the papers and staff.

The new directives emerged after a debriefing meeting for all Ministry of Education monitors at Jogoo House Nairobi. Amina chaired the meeting also attended by Basic Education PS Belio Kipsang and Knec officials. 

Further, Amina has instructed all examinations monitoring teams go be at the containers before they are opened to ascertain they were locked.

She also wants the teams to verify if the security officers manning the containers are present on a 24-hour basis. An official who attended the debriefing meeting said Amina also instructed that the examination containers be opened at 6am, in the presence of centre managers.

Point of collection

She said the managers must wear proper identification badges provided by Knec. And each centre manager must be accompanied by security officers right from the container to the school and back. Amina directed the monitors to always verify the presence of security officers at the point of collection.

In addition, the CS directed that the release of all examination material from the container be duly documented.

The CS wants all supervisors, monitors and sub-county directors to ensure every centre manager verifies the number of scripts issued, the number of candidates registered per centre, the number of extra scripts and the time of collection from the container. The Sunday Standard learnt that the directive issued yesterday aims at providing data that can be used to verify any issues of shortage or missing scripts arising from the centres.

And while at the container, the CS wants officers to counter-check the examination papers being issued to make sure they are the correct papers for the day. At the examination centres, monitoring officers have been directed to ensure candidates are frisked before entering the examination rooms and the desks spaced as per Knec guidelines.

No examination centre will photocopy examination material unless with express permission issued the CS.

She said the multi-sectoral examination monitoring will continue from Monday when candidates start the examinations. This means cabinet secretaries, principal secretaries and top government officials will make impromptu visits to monitor examinations administration.

It emerged that some counties have been earmarked for serious monitoring and top government officials have been assigned to comb the regions.

Last week, President Uhuru Kenyatta led government officials in monitoring the KCPE examinations that ended Thursday. Amina, Knec chairman George Magoha and Council Secretary Mercy Karogo at Uhuru Gardens Primary School accompanied the President. Teachers Service Commission Secretary Nancy Macharia was also present. The DP supervised examinations at Musa Gitau Primary School in Kiambu.

During the administration exercise for KCPE, Prof Magoha toured Nairobi, Kisumu, Mombasa and Kilifi counties.

Energy CS Charles Keter supervised exam distribution in Londiani, Kisii and Nyamira counties. PS Kipsang inspected administration in Nyeri and Kiambu regions. Interior PS Karanja Kibicho supervised exam material distribution in Meru County.

Environment CS Keriako Tobiko supervised delivery of examinations in Makueni County and Water CS Simon Chelugui was in Thika Sub-county. Interior CS Fred Matiangi was in Kilifi South Sub-county and Garissa Township and Chuka. Petroleum and Mining CS John Munyes supervised examinations at Lodwar Primary School and later he visited Kanamkemer, Nakicha, Lodwar Girls and Bloom primary schools in Turkana County.

Labour and Social Protection CS Ukur Yattani supervised exam distribution in Bomet County. TSC Secretary Nancy Macharia was in Naivasha town. Director Julius Jwan opened exams container in Kericho town.

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