18 inmates in Kisumu’s Kodiaga prison sitting KCPE

KCPE candidates at Kodiaga Prison in Kisumu tackle Mathematics paper as Kenya Certificate of Primary Education examinations, KCPE began on November 10 2015. 18 inmates sat for the examination.PHOTO: COLLINS ODUOR/STANDARD

KISUMU: Eighteen Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) candidates are inmates sitting for the national examinations at Kodiaga Prisons in Kisumu County.

Out of the 18, two were not in the prisons uniforms when The Standard visited the institution.
One is an 18 year old remandee who was recently charged with Murder at a Kisumu Court. He had registered for the examination in a different center before he was accused of the offence that took him to the prison.

According to the Prison's Liaison Officer Chief Inspector George Odera, he had to do the examination within the institution due to the incident.

The second candidate without uniform is actually the index one of the institution. He was a former inmate who had been in custody with charges of stealing. He is said to have left the prison walls in July this year after he was set free.

"He hails from Kasagam but is now here to sit the examination since this is where he registered. He was released under probation," said Mr Odera.

He said their eldest student is a man with more than 60 years who decided to study once more, since he had previously done his Certificate of Primary.

The institution's Head Teacher who is also an inmate Bond David said they are expecting to have the top student ganered over 380 marks.

"Last year we had the top student with 368 out of 500 marks. We believe things will be better for us this time around. We will achieve over 380 marks," he said.

The exams Supervisor at Kodiaga Prisons Mr John Osala said the paper began on time without any hitches or interferences.

"Everything is smooth, and we expect that this exercise will go on smoothly to the very end," he said.
Kodiaga is one among 23,000 other centres where examination is taking place and over 840,000 candidates are sitting the exams in the country.