Grandfather jailed for defilement among prisoners to sit KCPE

By standard team

A grandfather serving a six-year jail term for defilement is among Kenya Certificate of Primary Education candidates in Rift Valley Province.

Mr Lazarus Kundu, 67, was among the 170,000 Kenya candidates in Rift Valley who rehearsed for KCPE on Monday.

"I never got a chance to sit for the exams but the prison authorities have given me this chance and I will use it to prove that the aged can also do it," he said.

Mr Douglas Mugendi, the prison welfare officer, said the inmates sitting the national examination had reduced from 38 to 30.

In Nakuru, DEO Mathew Aboka said 7,454 candidates had been registered for KCPE. Among the candidates are 3,939 boys and 3,513 girls including IDPs who had relocated to the town. "We have 114 exam centres and we don’t anticipate any hiccups despite the rains pounding parts of the district," said Mr Aboka.

Candidates upbeat

In Western Province, about 70 inmates would sit the examination.

Most of the candidates are from Shikusa Borstal Prison, which caters for offenders between 15 and17.

Superintendent in charge Joseph Saitoti said preparation for Tuesday’s examination was complete.

"Our candidates are prepared and ready to take their examination. Their teachers have trained them well and they have gone through rehearsals by examination officials," he said.

At the Kakamega Prison, teachers Mark Nangoye and Carol Munialo said their 12 men and four women candidates were ready for the exams.

"We believe they have received the best lessons, which will produce the best results," said Ms Munialo.

Rift Valley PDE Beatrice Adu said the Ministry of Education was liaising with the Provincial Administration to provide security in Maralal, Samburu and Marigat for candidates.

"As areas prone to attacks we are making sure that security is beefed up for the process to run smoothly," she said.

In Pokot, candidates will converge in one centre where they will sit their exams because of insecurity and drought, Mrs Adu said.

The PDE said the centre would be secured and food provided to the pupils.

In Nandi North District 13 adults would sit for the KCPE examination.

The adults, who are aged between 25 and 48, are registered at Kapserton Adult Education Centre.

Prayers conducted

Churches conducted prayers for the candidates, who include 10 women and three men, at the weekend.

Nandi North District Adult Education Officer Gabriel Ruto said the candidates took part in the rehearsals for the exams on Monday and they were fully prepared for the examination.

Nandi Central DEO Maurice Kimosop said the Government had offered vehicles to transport examination materials to schools in five distribution points in the district.

He said 4,903 candidates would sit KCPE in 171 centres including 57 privately registered pupils.

At the Coast, the Kenya National Examination Council hired a plane to distribute examination materials.

This was after officials closed examination centres in parts of Malindi and Magarini due to floods.

The Coast PDE Tom Majani said there are 910 candidates from Malindi and Magarini would be transferred to special centres to sit their exams. He said in parts of Kwale, some candidates would also be affected.

— Stories by Victor Mukele, Anthony Gitonga, Roselyne Obala, Titus Too and Nicholas Anyuor