West Pokot receives extra containers for exam storage
The Ministry of Education has distributed an additional six national examination containers to West Pokot County as part of efforts to uphold the integrity and security of national examinations across the nation.
According to the West Pokot County Director of Education, Simon Wamae, the distribution of more exam containers to the region is designed to enhance the security, storage, and facilitate distribution of examination materials, ensuring their safety.
Wamae emphasised that the current initiatives undertaken by the Ministry of Education also seek to maintain the integrity of national examinations and to rebuild trust in the examination process among students, parents, and educators.
“By increasing the number of containers, the Ministry aims to enhance the management of exam materials, which can help mitigate the potential for irregularities such as cheating and leakage of examination questions,’’ Wamae said.
He clarified that an additional reason for the distribution of the containers to West Pokot was due to the introduction of revised regulations requiring examination papers to be collected twice daily, rather than the customary once a day.
The Education Director explained that the exam papers done in the morning would be collected in the morning at the designated containers throughout the county, while the papers scheduled for the afternoon sessions would be collected later in the afternoon.
“The reason as to why these containers have been added is because of the introduction of two sessions where principals are supposed to collect the exams in the morning and afternoon,’’ said Wamae.
He said the Ministry of Education has made a careful allocation of containers within the region, ensuring each subcounty has access to secure exam containers for the proper storage and management of exam materials.
“The Pokot South Sub County has received two examination containers at Kapchikar and Kaptabuk. Meanwhile, Pokot Central has also received two containers at Muino and Mosop Chief’s Camp, and West Pokot Sub County has obtained two containers at Kanyarkwat and Tipet,’’ he disclosed.
He said the distance from the schools to the previous 19 containers posed logistical challenges, and by positioning six additional containers closer to the schools, the Ministry intends to enhance the efficiency and security of operations during the examination period.
“Since now we have six more in addition to the nineteen that we had, I believe there will be no issues during the distribution of exams because the problem has been sorted out,” stated Wamae.
He assured stakeholders that they are fully prepared for the upcoming exams, expressing confidence in the readiness of the teachers and candidates.
The CDE underscored that thorough preparation has been made, and he is confident that the examination process this year will proceed smoothly without any issues.
He expressed his satisfaction that there have been no reports of insecurity currently in the region, asserting that if the current security situation remains stable until the completion of the examinations, it will instill greater confidence among educators and stakeholders.
Wamae also mentioned that investigations are currently ongoing regarding the fire that erupted at Ortum Boys High School on Monday.
He said the authorities are working diligently to determine the cause of the fire and assess any damage that may have occurred.
“The incident raised concerns for the safety of students and staff, as well as the impact it may have on school operations, particularly with examinations approaching,’’ he said.
Wamae assured the students that examinations cannot be suspended under any circumstances, even in the event of a fire incident in the school.
He urged them to take their studies seriously and avoid situations that could lead to fire outbreaks or the destruction of school property.
The CDE also urged students to be their brother’s keeper, encouraging them to assist one another in their academic endeavours to ensure collective success.
By Anthony Melly
