Inmates exude confidence ahead of KCPE examinations

Inmates at Naivasha GK Prison line up for inspection before they sit for the KCPE examinations in the penal institution in 2017. Twelve candidates in the facility are set to sit for the KCPE exams this year. [File, Standard]

Twelve inmates serving life sentence at the Naivasha GK Prison are among the over 6,000 candidates sitting for Kenya Certificate of Primary education exams in Naivasha.

Just hours ahead of the start of the examinations scheduled for Tuesday; the inmates have exuded confidence that they will still pass exams despite various challenges facing them.

According to the Prison Assistant Commissioner Samuel Ruto, the oldest inmate who will be sitting for the exam is 59 years old while the youngest is 19 years old.

The officer noted that inmates were all set for the examination despite emerging challenges like lack of learning materials and classrooms.

“We have a total of twenty-seven inmates who are sitting for KCPE this year and they are ready to compete with those in the public and private schools,” he said.

Ruto noted that the education programme in the prison had turned out to be one of the main rehabilitation tools with the number of inmates joining it on the rise.

“We are keen to work with other stakeholders in the education sector to make this programme even better and productive as it has changed the lives of many inmates,” he said.

On his part, Naivasha Sub-County Commissioner Mathioya Mbogo said that all was set for the exams despite some regions recording heavy rains.

He said that a total of 6,616 candidates had been registered for the national examinations in the 109 centres across the sub-county.

“We are all set for the examinations and we have powerful vehicles to ferry the examinations materials to areas currently receiving heavy rains,” he said.

Addressing the press in his office, Mbogo said that the issue of security and staffing had also been addressed by the relevant departments.

“We have 109 centres and of this one is in prison while the other in DEB primary school will cater for the private students registered in adult classes,” he said.