Police officer escorting KCSE papers killed in Siaya

By Peter Ochieng 

Police officers in Siaya county are pursuing unknown people who attacked and killed one of their own, on Monday morning.

Another police officer was injured during the incident. The two had been dropped off by a bus to walk to Mahero Secondary School in Alego Usonga, to man the ongoing Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams.

Two assailants reportedly emerged from a nearby thicket and attacked them using knives. The police officers were together with the school principal. The principal escaped from the scene with the Geography Paper 1 papers.

The incident happened few minutes past 7.30am. The two police officers lost their firearm to the assailants.

Siaya County Commissioner Julius Otieno confirmed the incident. "We are saddened to have lost one of our officers. Another one is injured and has been rushed to the Siaya County Referral Hospital," he said.

"The principal was with two police officers. Another was attacked using a knife. The examination's integrity has not been interfered with and the students are on with their exams," he added. Otieno assured residents of security, and urged them to volunteer information that will aid in arrest of the suspects.

"They came on foot and escaped on foot. They did not emerge from heaven. Kindly give us investigators, any helpful information to be able to catch the thugs.”

Over 600,000 candidates are sitting for KCSE exams across the Country. The exams which started towards the end of October, 2023, are set to conclude on Friday this week. The exams have been marred with several incidences of cheating, aided by sharing of exam material on social media platforms.

A host of suspects have been nabbed by authorities.