The Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) 2021 examination kicked off to a smooth start in Kwale County.
Area County Commissioner (CC) Gideon Oyagi who supervised examination material distribution and kick off day one of the three days exercise, told the press that security has been beefed up across the 424 exam centres in the coastal county.
The examination materials distribution has taken place at the Matuga Deputy County Commissioner’s office container.
The CC said the national examination set off amid tight security to curb cases of cheating and other malpractices and irregularities.
He added that a multi-agency team mobilized from the National Police Service, the Department of Correctional Services, Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) and the National Youth Service have been deployed to oversee the exams.
”I want to assure the general members of the public that this exercise will go on smoothly as planned. We have enough security officers on the ground to provide maximum security. Any incident of insecurity shall be handled as quickly as possible,” Oyagi said.
He disclosed that contrabands such as mobile phones and other electronic devices shall not be allowed into the areas where the exams were being conducted.
Oyagi who was accompanied by the County Director of Education (CDE), Martin Cheruiyot, said 23,375 class eight candidates are sitting for the national examination in the county.
“We only want headmasters, supervisors, invigilators and the security personnel in the exam centres and anybody else is advised to strictly keep off to ensure the public exams goes on without any hitches,” he said.
The administrator said two candidates from Matuga and Kinango sub counties are writing the exams in hospital after being admitted a few days ahead of the national test.
The County Director of Education Martin Cheruiyot, said the Ministry of Education has mobilized enough vehicles to ferry exams to all centers on time.
Cheruiyot assured the candidates that no one will miss the exams since the government has installed an emergency transport system to transport the exams in case of adverse weather and other challenges.
“The ministry is well prepared to ensure the exercise flows smoothly as planned. What we request from the public is to give our children a conducive environment to write their exams,” Cheruiyot said.
The education director noted that marking of the exams was expected to commence immediately after the exercise has been concluded and results to be released in three weeks’ time.
Kwale County Police Commander Ambrose Oloo said each examination center shall be manned by two security officers.
Oloo says security has been enhanced in all examination centres to ensure the national exams are not disrupted.
He cautioned security officers from taking alcohol and any form of drugs as they supervise the national exercise.
“We shall not allow individuals to jeopardize the exercise and all exam rules and regulations must be observed to the letter,” Oloo said.
By Raymond Zaka and Hussein Abdullahi
