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Where are the 5,530 candidates who missed the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) exam?

It has emerged that out of 1,088,986 candidates who registered for the KCPE this year, only 1,083,456 of them sat the exam, raising concerns of the whereabouts of the rest 5,530.

The Kenya National Examinations Council could not account for the 5,530 pupils who were registered for the exam, but could not sit it.

Last year, 8,367 registered candidates missed the KCPE exam and 9,725 missed it in 2017.

The situation may be attributed to early marriages, sickness, deaths and other primitive cultures.

“During the 2018 KCPE examination, more than 50 cases of teenage pregnancies and births were reported. Arising from the reports, the Ministry – through its field officers and critical stakeholders – mounted a robust awareness campaign in all parts of the country in a bid to reverse the negative trend,” said Magoha.