A total of 72 candidates sat for the exam while pregnant in Narok County in the just concluded Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) and Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE).
Narok County Commissioner Isaac Masinde said the number has dropped from over 248 candidates who sat for the exams while pregnant last year (2022) in both primary and secondary.
Masinde said the decline is as a result of collaboration between all education stakeholders who sensitised the young children on the dangers of engaging in premature sex and instead challenged them to concentrate on their class work to have a bright future.
“We worked with the Department of Education, Children, the Council of Elders, religious leaders, and other non-state actors to sensitise the community on the need to quit retrogressive cultural practices and embrace education. This is the reason the number of pregnant cases has reduced,” he said.
The CC who spoke at his office today said 20 candidates were grade 6 pupils sitting for KPSEA exams, while 52 were those sitting for KCPE exams.
He revealed that five candidates took their exams in the hospital after they developed labour pains while sitting for their exams.
Narok East Sub County had the largest number of pregnancy cases, with 10 candidates taking KPSEA exams when pregnant and 12 others sitting for KCPE when pregnant, while Trans Mara South Sub County had only one candidate pregnant during the exam period.
Though the County Commissioner did not reveal the number of pregnant candidates sitting for KCSE exams, he said the number had greatly reduced from last year’s statistics.
“Last year, we had 140 candidates pregnant in primary and 108 others pregnant in secondary school. This year, these statistics have greatly reduced,” he said.
The county commissioner called on parents to stay close to their children during this long holiday period to guide them and ensure they are doing the right thing.
He sounded a warning to those with intentions of carrying out Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) on young children, saying they risk arrest and prosecution.
A total of 14,544 candidates are sitting for the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE); 43,465 sat for the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE); while another 39,976 sat for the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA).
By Ann Salaton
