As over 960,000 students prepare to take the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams, Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo has 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.
