KCSE candidate loses eyesight, sits papers with assistance from official

A Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) candidate in Homa Bay County has lost her eyesight and is now being assisted to write her examinations.

The girl sat Christian Religious Education (CRE) and History and Government papers on Monday with the assistance of an official appointed by the Kenya National Examination Council (Knec).

The candidate at Wayaga Mixed Secondary started feeling unwell on Sunday evening when she was revising for her next papers.

She is said to have complained of visual complications and was taken to Ndhiwa Sub-County Hospital.

The medical officers who attended to her wrote a letter, which was used alongside another by the school’s head teacher, to seek directions from Knec.

Homa Bay County Director of Education Fredrick Kiiru said his office treated the case as emergency and had to immediately liaise with Knec to enable the student to sit the remaining papers.

In the arrangement made by Knec, the officer assisting her reads questions and she pronounces the answers to be written down on her behalf.

Kiiru said the education office had also arranged how to supervise the student and her assistant during the examination.

“Strict supervision must be done for the student and her assistant to enhance credible results in accordance with regulation of the Knec,” Kiiru said.

In Tana River, two candidates at Ndura Secondary School were taken to a health centre after developing labour pains on Sunday evening.

The girls sat the examination at Pumwani Health Centre under supervision by invigilators and security officials.