Several candidates write KCPE exams in hospital

Two 2021 KCPE candidates will sit their exams from the hospital they await to deliver.

The two are out of 4,243 candidates sitting for their exams today in Msambweni sub-county.

The 2021 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) kicked off this morning with 1,225,693 candidates expected to undertake the exams.

The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) said this represents a 2.86 per cent increase from last year's KCPE candidate population registered for the national test.

This means that thirty-four thousand and eighty-five (34,085) more candidates are sitting this year's KCPE compared to last year.

The examination will take place across 28,248 exam centres across the country and be supervised by 242, 406 teachers assigned by the Teachers Service Commission.

Kirinyaga county commissioner Jim Njoka hands over examination papers to centre managers. [Jane Mugambi, Standard]

The national exam was opened at the Msambweni center and distributed to exam managers as expected with security personnel being deployed in every center.

Msambweni education director Abraham Nyamawi said the sub-county has 84 centers but some had been merged and reduced to 67 centres.

He said that one of the candidates will be doing her exam at Msambweni referral hospital while the other is at Kinondo Kwetu private hospital.

Speaking to the media after overseeing distribution of the exam together with Msambweni DCC Lotiatia Kipkech, the Education director said there has not been a report of teachers coming late and that exams started on time.

KCPE candidates at Mochongoi High school before sitting for the exams. [[Kipsang Joseph, Standard]

Msambweni DCC Lotiatia Kipkech urged the community in the area to provide a conducive environment to ensure candidates complete their exams without interruption of wedding celebrations.

“We are asking the community to stop all discos that could cause noise and disturb pupils revising or doing their exam,’ he said.

Kipkech said that the government has ensured security is provided to every exam center to supervise the exam.

Other two students in Matuga and Kinango are also doing their exams in the hospital due to illness according to education officials in the area.

In Kisii, Education Principal Secretary Dr Julius Jwan said one candidate is sitting her exam at Kisii Teaching and Referral Hospital after giving birth on Sunday.

While presiding over the distribution of the examination papers for 113 schools in Kisii Central Subcounty  Jwan there is enough security and transport means to ensure a smooth exercise.

 He said strategies are in place to ensure 4,510 candidates, 2279 boys and 2231 girls do not miss out on the exam.