Parents of KCPE candidate seized for burning his hands

A Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) candidate at Kasuna Primary School in Ahero, Kisumu is nursing burns on his hands after he was assaulted by his stepmother on Tuesday.

The boy’s stepmother allegedly set his hands on fire as his father watched over suspicions that he had stolen her mobile phone, police said.

The boy said his stepmother had threatened to chop off his hands before she decided to burn them.

 “She threatened to chop off my hands, saying I am a thief,” the boy said.

“She brought newspaper pages, wrapped them around my hands as my father went to buy paraffin at a nearby shop.”

The boy said, his father dosed his hands with paraffin before his stepmother used a matchstick to lit fire.

He was rescued by a neighbour and is undergoing treatment at the Ahero Sub-County Hospital.

Ahero police boss Leonard Matete said the couple was arrested.

The boy is currently at a rescue center in Kisumu where he will stay until he is completes his exams.

Meanwhile, in Siaya, the county disaster preparedness and management committee is prepared to handle any effect of floods in areas such as Yimbo East ward in Usigu, along the Yala swamp which has already began experiencing floods due to the ongoing heavy downpour across the country.

County Commissioner Michael Ole Tialal said preparations for this year's KCPE and KCSE examinations in the county were complete and arrangements have been made to ensure there are no hitches.

The multi-agency team overseeing the exercise in the county chaired by the county commissioner has also mobilized adequate security personnel to secure the examination materials.

 "With the adequate level of preparation, we don’t anticipate to have any problems or challenges during the exam period but as stated earlier, we are very much alert and prepared to handle any eventuality should anything arise" said the county commissioner.

He said the government will also be more vigilant to ensure that no exam malpractices take place in the area.

"This time we wouldn’t wish to have a case like last year where the students of Ambira High School and Kaudha Mixed Secondary schools were arrested and arraigned in court for engaging in exam malpractices," he said.

In Kisumu, education officials have pledginged tough action those who will be caught engaging in exam cheating.

Speaking during the launch of the briefing for the exams at Lions High school, the County Director of Education Mr Isaac Atebe expressed confidence of 100 per cent credibility in this year's national exams.

Kisumu was marked as a hot spot for exam irregularity following an incident in which a principal was sacked last year over cheating in the tests.

Mr Atebe said there shall be more security officers manning the exams this year compared to previous years. Exam containers will be manned for 24 hours during the exam period to ensure the papers are not compromised.

Despite the heavy rains experienced in the region, officials anticipate to deliver the materials in time and adequate vehicles have been provided for the same.

Private vehicles have been barred from escorting the exam papers and only government and public school vehicles will be allowed to ferry the papers.

"There will be no incident of private vehicles escorting the examination, this is strategy employed to ensure exam is incident free," added Mr Atebe.

Kisumu registered over 30,000 KCPE candidates in 700 exam centers across the county with over 19,000 KSCE candidates in 250 centers.

The county education officer assured residents that no candidate will fail to sit for their exams, following concerns that at least 50 schools in the county were shut down for not having registration certificates.

Mr Atebe said the centers closed did not have exam candidates and that all the registered candidates will undertake the process irrespective of the places they will be.

"We have prepared all the candidates well and all will take exams whether in hospitals or in hardship areas like prisons so the outcome will be 100 per cent," he said.

In Homa Bay, teachers and parents were cautioned against buying fake exam papers being circulated by conmen.

County Commissioner Harman Shambi warned that fake exam papers were being circulated in the region and conmen were targeting teachers and parents.

The administrator said all examination papers are under tight protection and those claiming to be selling them were criminals.

"The exam papers have been sealed in a secure location away from the public. Anybody claiming to be selling the papers is a thief who wants to steal money from you," said Mr Shambi.

Migori county director of education Elizabeth Otieno told Nation measures have been put in place to ensure credible national examinations. Migori is among exam cheat hotspot counties in 2019.

“We have identified areas prone to exam malpractices and my team is under instruction to remain vigilant," she said.

The county is currently on the Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) radar after the last year cases.

Last year, students from Nyabisawa Girls, a top performing school in Suna East, Agenga Secondary in Nyatike and Komotobo Secondary in Kuria West had their results withheld over alleged exam malpractices.

The county education boss said that candidates from schools that were affected by closure due to poor infrastructure have been moved to nearby examination centres.

Reporting by Donah Atola, Dickens Wasonga, George Odiwuor and Ian Omondi.