Minister rejects Bill to scrap KCPE exam

A Cabinet minister has vowed to oppose a motion seeking to scrap the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education examination.

Nairobi Metropolitan Development minister Njeru Githae said the motion, to be tabled in Parliament by MP Jeremiah Kioni, was retrogressive.

Mr Githae said the examination was important as pupils obtained certificates which enabled them to continue to the next level.

“The examination is crucial and should be sustained,” he said at Kagio town in his Ndia constituency after officially launching a Sh4 million Kazi Kwa Vijana programme.

Mr Kioni has proposed the Bill to scrap KCPE to allow all primary school-leavers to go to secondary school.

However, secondary schools are much fewer than primary schools, which would make it difficult for all pupils to benefit.

Education minister Sam Ongeri has already said that his ministry would not support the motion. He spoke while releasing KCPE results last month.

Mr Githae suggested that one more examination be introduced in Standard Four with the pupils being awarded certificates.

He said he was confident that the majority of his colleagues will shoot down the motion when it was brought to the House for debate.

He also said secondary education should be made compulsory. “The government should ensure that all children join secondary school after their KCPE examination. This would open opportunities for youths willing to join colleges,” he said.

On the International Criminal Court, Mr Githae said Parliament had resolved that Kenya withdraw from it.

“What MPs have resolved is final and the government has no alternative but to accept the verdict,” he said.

Mr Githae said the US was not party to the Rome Statute and there was also nothing wrong with Kenya withdrawing.