National exams kick off in Marsabit marred by weather-induced challenges

Marsabit

Monday October 30, 2023

KNA by Sebastian Miriti

The Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) and the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) has not taken off in 11 centers in Marsabit County owing to weather-induced challenges.

Marsabit County Commissioner Nobert Komora said the problem was occasioned by heavy rains in the region that have rendered roads impassable and made weather unfavorable for flights.

The affected centers include Ngurunit, Mpagas, Lepandera, Ndikir, Lontolio, St Domenic Savio Lengima, Ortolot, Farakoren in Laisamis sub-county, as well as Jjija and Arge in Loiyangalani and Shurr primary school in Turbi-Bubisa sub-county.

In Arge and Jjija examination centers in Loiyangalani Sub-county, the candidates were inconvenienced because the Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) reportedly did not do due diligence causing a mix-up of both examination papers.

At the same time, a helicopter dispatched to ferry the examination materials failed to venture into the area due to bad weather.

Komora who had earlier witnessed the opening of the exam container for Marsabit Central sub-county said that the bad weather delayed the starting of the exams with the exercise kicking off at 9 am in many examination centers as opposed to the 8:30 am official time.

A tractor provided by the county government came in handy to pull vehicles ferrying the examination materials and officials to Kituruni, Badassa, and Leyai areas in Saku Constituency, where the ongoing rains have damaged the road network and washed away a bridge.

KNEC has registered 9,080 candidates who will be sitting for KCPE in Marsabit County, while 7,975 were enlisted for KPSEA at 176 and 216 examination centers respectively.

Curiously, 18 candidates who had not registered for KPSEA showed up at Illeret primary and junior secondary school in North Horr constituency ready to sit for the exam.

The candidates, 11 boys and 7 girls reportedly had migrated with their parents across the border into Ethiopia as their families escaped drought missing out on the mandatory registration process for the exam

However, they were processed by the local education and examination officials and allowed to do the exams.

This followed a directive by the Ministry of Education through an announcement made by the principal secretary Dr. Belio Kipsang that unregistered candidates who show up at an examination center be allowed to sit for the respective examinations.

The exercise attracted 41 private KCPE candidates including 27 females and 14 males, while 3 candidates who have a conflict with the law are doing their examination at the Moyale GK prison.

The exercise kicked off with the government ensuring measures to make sure that the exams were conducted in an enabling environment.

Komora who was accompanied by the county police commander Patrick Mwakio and the county director of education Joseph Maki warned of stern action against anybody found attempting to circumvent the laid down procedures, adding that the exercise should be administered in an integrity manner.

He added that helicopters were being deployed to assist in accessing and distributing exams in areas cut off by rains and modalities were being worked out to navigate the bad weather conditions.

Examination officials, security personnel, and candidates brazed the chilly weather to attend to the noble duty.

Courtesy; KNA