Heavy rains mar delivery of exams as Ruto cautions against cheating

The primary and junior secondary school national examinations kicked off Monday, with the ongoing heavy rains in some parts of the country delaying the distribution of papers. Candidates sitting for the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) and Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) exams in the affected areas anxiously waited as government officials made efforts to have the exam materials airlifted due to rains that cut off most of the roads in those areas. For those who were lucky to start on time, the KCPE candidates appended their answers to the English and Mathematics papers, marking the end of the 8-4-4 era. As the 8-4-4 system introduced 38 years ago exits, the second lot of the Competency-Based Curriculum's (CBC) new education system ushered in last year, sat for their first two papers yesterday. In Marsabit County, 11 schools failed to start their exams on time due to transportation hitches following the heavy rains in the area, especially in Laisamis constituency. The affected schools are Ndikir, Lontolio, St Dominic Savio Lengima, Arge, Lependera, Mpagas, Ngurinet, Oltorot, Farakoren, Ikija and Shur Primary in North Horr constituency. Slippery roads Marsabit County Commissioner Norbat Komora said the government will use a helicopter to help deliver the exams to KPSEA and KCPE centres. Most roads have been cut off from many areas in Marsabit, especially the Laisamis constituency, thus disrupting the start of the exams. In Meru and Tharaka Nithi counties, education officials overseeing the exercise faced difficulties in delivering exams to the centres on time, even as thick mud and slippery roads threatened to cause delays. In Tigania East in Meru which has experienced heavy downpours, Deputy County Commissioner Jackton Orieny and other officials had to find alternative means, in time, as the police lorry dispatched to ferry the papers to lower Thangatha got stuck at Ngumba along the Mikinduri-Kunati-Gacaibine road. Mr Orieny said they were finding it a challenge to transport the examinations following the heavy rains that rendered some sections impassable, a situation compounded by the poor state of the roads. However, the team was able to dispatch another vehicle to ferry the papers to the centres. In Budalangi Constituency, two schools were forced to collect their exam materials from neighbouring Siaya County due to logistical issues. Osieko and Madwua Primary Schools in Bunyala South, were, for the first time forced to pick their exam papers at Usigu Centre in Siaya due to the proximity to the centre. Elaborate measures Busia County Commissioner Kipchumba Ruto said the government has put elaborate measures in place to ensure exam papers reach schools despite heavy rains pounding the area. "We have organised exam papers for two centres in Bunyala South Ward. The papers will be picked from Bondo in Siaya sub-County while those for schools in Sigulu Islands on Lake Victoria, will be delivered by Kenya Coast Guards Services boat," said Rutto. "Our main goal is to ensure all candidates sit for exams regardless of where the exam materials are picked from, so long as the school is nearby exam centres be it in the bordering county." Ruto warned those found culpable of engaging in exam malpractice of dire consequences, adding that cases of exam irregularities will not be tolerated. The County Director of Education James Ekaliyo said 31,500 candidates are sitting for KCPE exams and 30,780 candidates for KPSEA exams respectively. In Lodwar, Turkana County, a minor is sitting for her KCPE examination at the area's referral hospital. This is after she delivered a few days ahead of the national examination which kicked off yesterday. The 17-year-old candidate gave birth to a baby boy and she is being managed by medics after developing some complications during delivery. According to the Executive Director of Lodwar County Referral Hospital Joseph Epem, the candidate is from Nakwamekwi Primary School in Turkana Central. She is a resident of Lodwar town. He revealed that the minor was defiled since she was underage. Hundreds of candidates who were not registered to sit for the exam heeded the Minister for Education Ezekiel Machogu's call. They arrived in various schools where they were allowed to sit for the examinations because this was the last KCPE lot. In Nyamira, two candidates who were on the brink of missing their KCPE examinations are among the 38,000 others sitting this year's KCPE and KPSEA exams. The two candidates from Engoto Primary School were supposed to sit for this year's KCPE, but their names were missing from the list of registered pupils who were to sit for the papers, according to the County Director of Education, Joshua Kaaga. Kaaga said the two candidates realised their names were not in the register of the bonafide pupils for this year's exams on Friday during rehearsals before emergency interventions were sought. "The headteacher realised the names were not in the register, and he informed us. We made calls to KNEC, and it was possible for us to have the two registered for the examinations, and they are now among other learners to sit for the papers," Kaaga said. In Trans Nzoia County, some candidates who had registered for the examinations but dropped out of school due to the harsh economy resurfaced. Most of them had reportedly quit school to engage in cheap labour, to assist their parents in making a living. Most affected learners are from Kwanza and Endebess sub-counties, where large-scale farms hire cheap labour. At Maziwa Primary School, five candidates surfaced after dropping out of the school in January. Centre Manager Moses Makworo said the candidates reported back after missing for a couple of months. "The five candidates have been away for several months, and they only surfaced to write their exam. They are among 58 candidates doing the exam," Makworo told The Standard yesterday. At the Naivasha and Kericho Maximum Prisons, 37 candidates penned their exam papers to build careers as they continue serving sentences and others waiting for their cases to be concluded in court. One of the inmates, Gideon Langat, who is serving 12 years for robbery, praised the teachers, who are also inmates, for the work they had done in preparing the inmates. He challenged the government to allocate funds to the education department in prison, which had turned out to be a tool for rehabilitation. "Despite all the problems, we are ready to challenge our fellow students who have an advantage over us as their schools are funded, unlike us," he said. newsdesk@standardmedia.co.ke

Heavy rains mar delivery of exams as Ruto cautions against cheating

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