As the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams kicked off nationwide today November 4, 2024, the day was marked by sorrow in some parts of the country following a reported death of a candidate.
Meru County Commissioner Jacob Ouma while speaking to the press on Monday announced that one KCSE candidate had died in Tigania West.
“Tunasikitika ya kwamba hadi kufikia saa sita za usiku leo tumempoteza mvulana, mwanafunzi mmoja ambaye anatoka katika maeneo ya Tigania West,” Ouma said.
The Counter Commissioner further disclosed that two other female KCSE candidates sat their exams in the hospital after they gave birth at the Meru Level 5 Hospital in Imenti North.
“Na alkadhalika hadi kufikia masaa hayo nimesema tulikua na mabenati wawili ambao walikua wamebarikiwa wakajifungua katika hospitali yetu ya Meru,” he said.
Ouma, acknowledging that the situation around KCSE exams could change anytime, promised to update the media as the events unfold.
“Najua taarifa hizi zitazidi kubadilika kwa sababu labda wameongezeka.Sisi tutaendelea kuwajulisha kadri tunavyopata taarifa,” he said.
Ouma oversaw the exam distribution exercise in Meru County alongside the County Education Officer Joseph Maki.
The Meru County Commissioner emphasized the importance of maintaining exam integrity, warning against any form of malpractice, and extended his best wishes to all candidates as they begin their examinations.
Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo had earlier provided reassurance to candidates and their families regarding heightened security across the country.
During a visit to Kikuyu in Kiambu County on Monday morning, Omollo oversaw the distribution of examination materials and emphasized the government’s commitment to a safe examination environment.
“As we go through this exercise (distributing exam papers) you can always count on our support. From the security sector, I am happy to note that so far we have not had any major security incidents to be worried about and we expect that this is going to be the situation throughout the rest of the coming days,” Omollo said.
Adding that; “Our security agencies have provided a conducive environment for all our students to succeed.”
The KCSE examinations kicked off today, starting with the English Functional Skills paper, which was scheduled from 8:00 am to 10:00 am.
The next subject, Chemistry Paper 1, will be administered from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm.
More than 960,000 candidates will be taking their exams at 10,755 centres nationwide.
In an effort to prevent cheating, the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) has implemented a series of measures, including personalizing question papers with each student’s identification.
KNEC has warned that candidates found cheating will be held personally responsible for their actions, ensuring that the repercussions will not extend to their entire school or examination centre, which has been a common practice in the past.
This year’s examination administration also marks a shift in protocol, with KNEC stating that they will no longer print extra question papers, a change aimed at closing loopholes that have previously been exploited for examination malpractice, such as impersonation.
After the national briefing, KNEC went to every sub-county, and centre managers and supervisors were briefed, especially on the new innovations.
This new strategy includes tearing off the section of the exam paper that contains candidates’ details at the end of each exam and packing it separately to prevent identification during grading.
With these measures in place, the authorities hope to foster a fair and secure environment for all students taking the KCSE exams.
