KCPE exams begin smoothly in Nyanza amid post-poll tensions

Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development Director Dr Julius Jwan has assured Class Eight candidates and teachers from Nyanza region of adequate security during the ongoing national exams.

Despite the region experiencing chaos and violence in the run-up to the October 26 repeat presidential election, he said the government has made sufficient plans to ensure smooth undertaking of the exercise.

“I have engaged a number of locals and stakeholders from this region and everyone is in agreement that the candidates should be allowed to complete the exercise without interference,” he said.

The KICD director spoke on Tuesday morning after witnessing the opening of a container where the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examinations were stored at Kisumu sub-county commissioner’s office.

Dr Jwan, also a board member at the Kenya National Examination Council, said the agency has recruited enough personnel to oversee the exercise which ends on Thursday.

He however pointed out that the government will take stern action against any officer who will be found to be involved in any exam malpractice.

Dr Jwan who later proceeded to Arya Primary School to supervise the administration of the KCPE exams noted no incidence has been reported in the entire Nyanza.

“I have talked to several sub county directors of education across the region and I have been told that the exams have started pretty well. The good weather was favourable for the administration of exam and all the personnel in charge of the exams managed to pick their papers on time,” he said.

KISII COUNTY

In Kisii County, there were no unusual incidents reported in all the 913 examination centres. 

The Deputy County Commissioner Peter Mbugi opened exam containers at 6am, which were then released to head teachers of different primary schools.

Mr Mbugi said security has been beefed up in all the examination centres and they anticipate no problems during the entire examination period.

“We have tightened the security in all our institutions to ensure that the examination runs smoothly during the three days, though we do not think there will be any problems,” said Mr Mbugi.

County Director of Education Dr William Sugut said they have distributed question papers to all exam centers without any hitches.

Dr Sugut said head teachers will be directly responsible for any examination malpractices in their respective schools.

The head teachers will be exam centre managers in this year’s examinations.

“The head teachers will be directly accountable, responsible and answerable for any examination malpractices that will take place in their institutions,” said Dr Sugut.

Grace Nyamweya, head teacher of Kisii Primary School, one of the largest exam centres in the county, said the exam begun without any hitches.

Ms Nyamweya said the school all the students have showed up for the exam including 156 students learning at the school and 86 private students.

“The papers arrived on time and so far, the mathematics paper has started well,” said Ms Nyamweya.

MIGORI COUNTY

The KCPE exams kicked off smoothly in Migori County as most of the schools began the exercise without any hitch.

Knec chairman Prof George Magoha toured schools in Migori County to check on the progress of the exams early Tuesday.

Security was tight in and out of examination centres as Migori was among the areas hardest hit by the anti - election protests in which several died and others were injured.

Prof Magoha said he was happy with the security arrangements in the region.

"We hope the peaceful environment will remain  until the end of this important exercise," said Prof Magoha when he visited Migori Primary School.

In Bomet County the exams kicked off smoothly in all the 844 examination centres without any incidences.

A total of 23,806 candidates are sitting for the examination in the county.

Reporting by, Victor Raballa, Elisha Otieno, Jadson Gichana, Geoffrey Rono and Elgar Machuka