Nyanza Region Commissioner Flora Mworoa has cautioned students, teachers and the public planning to engage in any examination malpractice of dire consequences.
Mworoa stated that officials from the education and security sectors have made adequate preparations to ensure that the 2023 national examinations are conducted without hitches.
She confirmed that security has been beefed up in the region to secure all the 6694 centres for the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE), Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) and Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA).
“We are going to remain vigilant and alert as we monitor these exams. Any form of exam malpractice will not be condoned and the perpetrators will be apprehended and charged,” Mworoa cautioned.
Speaking during a press briefing in Kisumu County on Friday, the RC confirmed that 13,388 police officers have been enlisted to provide security during the national exercise.
“We have deployed 2 security personnel in each centre to provide the required security in all the 6694 centres to ensure the exams are conducted smoothly and in a safe environment,” Mworoa stated.
The KCSE papers are set to begin on Friday, October 27 while KCPE and KPSEA are set for Monday, October 30.
A total of 151,783 Form 4 students, 227,637 Class 8 candidates will sit the KCSE and KCPE exams respectively while 201,002 Grade 6 pupils will pioneer the KPSEA in the Nyanza Region.
Mworoa assured that the state had also heightened security in the areas hit by border conflicts, especially, Sondu and Nyakach Sub Counties to enable the candidates to sit the exams.
However, she noted that normalcy had been restored within the conflict regions and schools had already re-opened ahead of the national exams.
“Schools around the Sondu and Nyakach borders were affected by the recent inter-community clashes. So far, peace and calm have been restored and security tightened leading to the resumption of learning in all the schools. We assure candidates in these areas of their safety as they sit for their exams,” assured the RC.
Further, the Education sector, she added, in collaboration with the Interior Ministry and the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Digital Economy has mapped out flood-prone areas within parts of Kisumu, Migori and Homa Bay Counties.
“We have a chopper on standby to help in the transportation of examination materials in some areas that we suspect might experience high rains and floods. We have put in place measures to ensure that no student will miss the exams due to floods,” Mworoa stated.
By Robert Ojwang’
