Officials say all is ready for kick off of last Class 8 tests

It is the end of an era as the last Class Eight candidates under the 8-4-4 system sit the final Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) this week.

Some 1.4 million learners are sitting their KCPE exam starting this morning until Wednesday and another 1.2 candidates will be assessed for Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA).

Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang has said all is set for the exams and that both KCPE and KPSEA papers are in the containers, even as he assured that their custody and logistics are in order.

Kipsang said all is ready, all the way from opening of containers, adding that it will be a Whole-of-Government approach and senior officials will participate in the exercise to encourage the candidates.

“We want to give assurance that our exams are safe, you know technology has its own issues but we have Directorate of Criminal Investigations, the gurus in ICT but in whatever media, our exams are safe. I want to assure the country that we have put everything in place to ensure the integrity of our exams both locally and internationally is respected,” he said on Saturday.

Kipsang said the government has an additional 82 containers to make it easier for teachers to collect the papers and had also increased marking centres from 35 to 40.

The PS also assured centre managers that the government had put in place measures for Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exam, which commences next week, that they will be adequately facilitated as they will be required to pick the papers twice a day.

The Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) will use 576 distribution containers for KCPE and KPSEA while 567 others will be used for KCSE, which is an additional 82 compared to last year.

Similarly, Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu last week told Parliament that areas with difficult terrain and related challenges will have the exams airlifted from Nairobi directly due to security concerns.

“From the container, the schools served are within reasonable distance and do not need further airlift. For example, Kapedo Secondary is 1.2 kilometres away from the nearest container,” Machogu said.

He added: “The Ministry would like to assure the House and the nation that adequate preparations have been undertaken to ensure and achieve a credible examination process. Necessary safeguards have been put in place to  guarantee the efficiency and integrity of the examination and assessment process.”

The government says it has deployed at least 60,000 security agents across the country to secure examination centres and ensure credibility of the tests.

Interior Principal Secretary, Raymond Omollo said that the government had mobilised National Police Service (NPS) and National Government Administration Officials.

He said security officials will be tasked with manning the containers, protecting students, teachers and supervisors. He said a command and communication centre had been set up at national and regional levels.

“The Ministry of Interior will play a leading and critical role in the execution of the task, support the Ministry of Education in coordination, logistics and provision of 24-hour security during the exam exercise,” said Omollo.