Woman, 68, hopes for good results as one million candidates sit KCPE

A 68-year-old in Makueni County is among the one million candidates sitting for this year’s Kenya Certificate of Primary Education examinations that begin this morning.

Ms Veronica Kaleso will sit her mathematics, English language and composition papers alongside dozens of other candidates, eight of them adults, at Unoa Primary School.

Ms Kaleso attended the rehearsal on Monday where she was shown how to use optical mark reader sheets.

REHEARSAL

The Kenya National Examinations Council introduced personalised optical mark reader forms for KCPE tests in order to curb cases of candidates who have problems shading their index number correctly and those who inadvertently shade the lozenge (ellipse) for absent yet they did the examinations.

“Sitting for this examination marks an important milestone in a journey I began many decades ago,” Ms Kaleso told the Nation after the rehearsal.

HOMESCHOOLED

The mother of 10 and grandmother of 24, who is homeschooled, hopes to proceed to secondary school next year “so that I do away with go-betweens while being served in government offices”.

Ms Kaleso dropped out in Standard Five at Kyamuthei Primary School in 1969 for lack of fees.

On Monday, Education Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed attended several rehearsals and told candidates that measures have been put in place to ensure the tests run smoothly.

At Olympic Primary School in Nairobi, the minister, Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang and Knec acting chief executive Mercy Karogo addressed candidates.

EMERGENCY

She also visited Joseph Kangethe, Laini Saba and Kibera primary schools.

About five choppers have been lined up for emergency cases to ensure the exams go on without a hitch.

Ministry and Knec officials said they are leaving nothing to chance, especially after the Meteorological Department said many parts of the country would experience heavy rains in the coming days.

In previous years, failure to plan has led to problems during the examinations especially in flood-prone areas like Tana River County.

UNCOMFORTABLE

Last year, heavy rains led to a late start of the examination in some parts of northern Kenya.

A total of 1,060,703 candidates will sit for the examination.

In Kwale, locals said they are uncomfortable with the decision to punish residents whose children cheat in the exams.

TERRORIST-PRONE

Four prisoners will sit for the exams in the county.

Machakos County Education Director Samuel Boto said all necessary steps have been taken to ensure the tests run smoothly.

In Lamu, more than 30 candidates in terrorist-prone areas have been moved to safer zones.

At Pandanguo Primary School, 18 candidates were moved to Witu Primary School, about 21 kilometres away.

ADMINISTERED

In Taita Taveta County, 8,641 candidates will write the exams.

In Narok and Nakuru counties, security has been beefed up in areas recovering from clashes.

Narok County Commissioner George Natembeya said the tests would be administered without a hitch.

SECURITY

Places like Olposimoru on the Nakuru-Narok border experienced clashes last month.

In Narok 28,264 candidates in 840 centres will do the tests.

Nakuru County chief Joshua Nkanatha said nobody would be allowed to disrupt the exercise.

Mr Nkanatha and Njoro MP Charity Kathambi said security agents were leaving nothing to chance.

TRANSPORT

Education Ministry officials in Bomet were accused of demanding Sh200 from every head teacher “to facilitate the transport of police officers to examination centres”.

Heads told the Nation that the officials told them that the money would be used to transport the officers from Gilgil in Nakuru County.

Kenya National Union Teachers Bomet Bomet County secretary Malel Langat demanded explanation from the ministry.

Kisii County Education Director William Sugut said everything would go according to plan.

“We do not expect any hitches,” he said at Kisii Campus Primary School.

Reported by Pius Maundu, Ouma Wanzala, Fadhili Fredrick, Magati Obebo, Vitalis Kimurai, Diana Kimanzi, Magdalene Wanja, George Sayagie, Shammah Koech. Lucy Mkanyika and Gastone Valusi​