The Kiambu sub-county Director of Education Mrs.Roselyne Litaba has cautioned examination Centre managers and supervisors against exposing the candidates in the name of security checks.
Mrs. Litaba reminded the supervisors, head teachers and invigilators to observe Covid 19 protocol at all times and avoid engaging in unnecessary checks and activities that could compromise the health of the candidates.
She cited an incident that was aired on one of the local Television stations in which a teacher was filmed checking the masks of the pupils before they embarked on writing the examinations.
The director regretted that it was a wrong move because the supervisor who was doing that could easily spread the virus if he was exposed or contaminated.
“Don’t touch the masks of the candidates under whatever circumstances” she warned.
Talking to KNA from her office, prior to the opening of the Examination container, Ms. Litaba revealed that one of the candidates from a school in Nairobi was writing his examinations from Kiambu level 5 hospital.
The 15-year-old boy had been admitted to the health facility in mid-February with burns and that the hospital had communicated with her office to facilitate him with revision material to assist him prepare for the National examinations.
She observed that following the notification to her office, the examination team had made arrangements to facilitate the ailing boy with his examination papers beginning from yesterday. “Today are still availing the papers to him because he is yet to recover” she noted.
She however impressed on the supervisors to keep safe and handle the candidates carefully so as to encourage them to do their best despite the difficult times they had gone through during the long holiday occasioned by Covid-19.
Kiambu Deputy county commissioner Mr. Titus Macharia in his address to the team called on them to be vigilant, observant and supportive to the candidates so as to give them moral support in what they were doing.
He added that it was a government directive to ensure that the National examinations were handled competently in a conducive environment that did not cause the pupils any tension.
Elsewhere, from the Juja sub-county, the Sub-county director of Education Mr. Peter Kariuki while addressing the Center managers, reminded them that they to be accompanied by respective security officers.
He however clarified that the security personnel were not the ones entrusted to carry the examination papers. He added that those ferrying the papers were not allowed to use their personal vehicles but that they could share transport with their colleagues going the same directions via the authorized school buses or vans.
He added that the exams must be collected on completion by the center managers who should have their badges on.
According to a KNA spot-check, all those who appeared at the container to collect the examinations had observed social distance and wore their masks appropriately.
By Lydia Shiloya and Belinda Kioko
