Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) and Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) examinations ended without any hitch in Baringo with 35,499 candidates writing the papers.
Baringo County Commissioner Abdirisack Jaldesa disclosed that 22 expectant girls out of 18,488 candidates are sitting for KCPE examination in 623 centres across the seven sub counties.
Briefing the press in his Kabarnet office, Jaldesa stated that they have made the necessary arrangements to ensure that the special cases carry on with their examinations without any challenges.
“The invigilators, supervisors and centre managers have been briefed and they are aware of these cases and are able to handle whenever a challenge arises, “he said.
Jaldesa who revealed of a further 48 expectant form four candidates said that his office and that of education have instructed exam officers throughout the vast county to remain vigilant and alert on any other emerging issues like illness that may arise in the course of the examination period.
The CC stated that 17,011 candidates from the CBC system of education will sit for their examinations in 713 centres during the three days’ period.
On security, Jaldesa said there is peace and tranquility in normally insecurity prone zones of Baringo North and Marigat sub counties and expects the situation to prevail during the entire examination days.
“We have moved examination centres like Kapindasum, Arabal, Rugus, Ngelecha, Emobosos and Sinoni to neighbouring safe schools not because of insecurity challenges but due to the fact that residents are still returning to their ancestral lands from where they had taken refuge,” Jaldesa stated.
He added that examination centres such as Kapindasum, Rugus and Ngelecha primary schools could not hold examinations since its infrastructure were vandalized by marauding bandits while others are in deplorable state after the locals fled the affected areas because of bandit attacks.
Jaldesa assured area residents and parents that schools that had closed down due to insecurity in the better part of the year will resume fully as examination centres starting next year.
The CC urged residents who had fled their homes to return and engage in their normal farming activities assuring them that security had been fully restored with deployment of adequate officers and recruitment of National Police Reservists (NPR) not only during the examination period but going forward.
A total of 12,087 candidates will sit Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) in 186 examination centres.
By Benson Kelio and Joshua Kibet
