The Government has availed three standby choppers for Garissa, Wajir and Mandera Counties to airlift examination papers for both the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) and Kenya Certificate of Secondary School Education (KCSE) in areas that have been adversely affected by the recent floods.
Speaking on Tuesday when he witnessed the opening of the KCPE exam container in Garissa Sub-County office, the North Eastern Regional Commissioner, Mohammed Birik said the choppers will also be used for security surveillance along the border with war torn Somalia.
Birik who was accompanied by the Director General for Basic Education, Elyas Abdi, said KDF and other front line units along the border with Somalia will be on board to deliver the papers to the respective schools in Amuma, Liboi, Diff and the vast Dadaab Refugee Camps.
“Adequate security arrangement has been put in place in the entire North Eastern to ensure KCPE and the forthcoming KCSE National Examinations goes on uninterrupted,” Birik said.
Birik regretted that the region witnessed the highest cancellation in KCSE last year.
He said that it happened when there were exam managers, invigilators and other officials supervising the exam in all the centres.
“We will not afford to repeat that mistake again. Its time and the moment for everyone involved in the supervision and coordination of the National Exams to take responsibility,” Birik said.
“If any exam malpractice will be detected and any foul play, it will be upon those tasked with the supervising the exams to take responsibilities,” he added.
Birik, however, assured the candidates and parents from the region that the government will ensure that it delivers a ‘credible exam this time round’.
He said all exam centres are no go zones other than monitors, candidates and security personnel.
There are 22,105 candidates seating for this year’s KCPE in 560 exam centres across North Eastern region out of which 13,084 male and 8,301 female candidates.
Over I million will be seating for the same exam countrywide.
By Jacob Songok
