Record number of candidates sit the 2016 Form Four exams

A record 577,253 students will sit their Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations that start Monday.

This is the highest number of KCSE examination candidates recorded since the tests were first administered in 1989.

The Kenya National Examinations Council (Knec) released information showing that 54,383 more candidates were registered in 2016 compared with 2015.

The candidates begin the examinations with a mathematics paper.

Other exams to be taken during the week are English, Chemistry, Kiswahili, Home Science, Art and Design and Building Construction.

In 2015, the results of 5,000 candidates were cancelled due to malpractices.

Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i has revised national examination rules to curb cheating and other misdeeds.

On the first day of the exams, headteachers, education officials and security officers arrived as early as 5am at exam collection centres, ready to pick up the test papers.

NAKURU

In Nakuru County, the exams were collected from the county commissioner’s offices in Nakuru Town.

Knec chairman George Magoha was expected at Kambi Ya Moto in Rongai to oversee the start of the exams.

MERU

In Meru, headteachers in Imenti North braved early morning rains as they went to pick up examination papers in Meru Town.

Speaking to the Nation, Meru County Commissioner Wilfred Nyagwanga said all arrangements were made to ensure school principals collect the papers from 5am.

"I am in Buuri Sub-County supervising the exercise. We have distributed other officials across the county to monitor what is happening. I believe this exam will go on without problems just like the KCPE exam," Mr Nyagwanga said.

He said officials and teachers were under strict instructions to implement the new guidelines by the Ministry of Education to curb cheating.

In the 2015 KCSE exams, Meru was listed among the top three counties with examination irregularities alongside Nairobi and Makueni.

LAMU

In Lamu Town, principals started collecting exam papers at 5am and by 6.30am, all principals had been given their parcels.

Lamu Deputy County Commissioner Stephen Sangolo said they had beefed up security as the exams kicked off.

UASIN GISHU

At the Uasin Gishu County headquarters in Eldoret Town, the exams container was opened at 5am under the close watch of the top county security officials.

Uasin Gishu County Teachers Service Commission Director Beatrice Agala said all measures were in place to ensure that the exams run smoothly.

“All is set for the exam. All the 185 centres in the county got their exams on time. No incident has been reported so far,” said Ms Agala.

She was accompanied by Turbo Assistant Sub-County Commissioner John Kinjo.

In the cattle rusting-prone counties of the North Rift, security has been heightened to ensure national examinations are not disrupted.

Rift Valley Regional Coordinator Wanyama Musiambo said all examination centres in the region will be provided with enough security personnel throughout the examination period.

“We wish to assure parents, teachers and students in the affected areas that their safety is guaranteed,” said administrator.

TRANS NZOIA

In Trans Nzoia County, there was confusion at God Bless You Academy after a woman realised that her daughter was not registered as a KCSE candidate.

The region has 10,490 registered candidates compared with 10,661 in 2015.

The number of girls sitting the exam shot from 4,719 in 2015 to 5,006 in 2016.

County Director of Education Joseph Wamocho linked the drop in the number of boys sitting the exams to child labour.

Reported by Brian Moseti, Suleiman Mbatiah, David Muchui, Kalume Kazungu, Wycliff Kipsang.