KCPE and KPSEA exams kick off amid rain havoc in Mandera

Umar Faruuq Integrated Academy pupils moving desks out of their classrooms after River Daua burst its banks. [Ibrahim Adan Ali, Standard]

Several classrooms in Mandera East are flooded with rainwater even as the national examinations kicked off.

The Standard has established that several classes in schools along River Daua have flooded with the rain waters after the river burst its banks on Sunday, 29 October, 2023.

The head teacher of Umar Faruuq Integrated Academy, Sheikh Abdirahman says they have shifted all the candidates to occupy lower classes for the exams.

"As all those three classrooms flood with water, we have moved all our 74 pupils to conduct their national examinations in the lower classes. The level of water is on the increase," he said.

River Daua has overflowed and burst its banks following heavy downpours that continuously rained in Mandera for the past four days.

However, the County Commissioner Amos Mariba said the government will ensure every pupil will sit for the exams regardless of the floods reported across the county.

"We are aware of some schools flooded with rain water but that will not stop us from conducting the exams. I assure you every pupil will sit for the examinations," Mariba said.

Mariba has also assured exams safety as thousands of security personnel disbursed to escort the exams to various schools countywide.

"Thousands of security officers both in uniform and civilian will be guarding the exams as a high number will be posted to schools along the borderlines", he added.

On the other hand, Mandera County Director of Education Abdi Sheikh while overseeing the disbursement of the today's papers, has assured the exams will safely reach all the schools in the county as choppers ferry the papers

"Two choppers will be assisting 22 schools in the county to ferry the exam papers to far-flung and hard-to-reach schools across the county" Said Sheikh

Some 9,301 pupils in Mandera county will sit for KCPE examinations and another 8,586 pupils will be sitting for KPSEA.