Over 960,000 Students Set to Begin KCSE Exams Amid Security and Logistics Concerns.

Over 960,000 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) candidates are set to begin their exams today.

French, German, Sign Language, Arabic, Music, and Home Science will dominate the first week of this year’s KCSE examinations, which will take place across 10,755 exam centres throughout the country. As students prepare to tackle a variety of subjects in the first week, concerns have emerged about potential logistical challenges.

Education stakeholders have raised concerns over the poor state of the road network, which might hinder the timely transportation of examination materials.

Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Secretary General Collins Oyuu urged invigilators to be fair, considering the challenges learners have faced in preparing for these exams.

“For those invigilating exams, take it upon yourselves as if you are invigilating learners who have gone through hell trying to make their future,” he said. “Let us be kind enough and make sure what we do is within the common and acceptable practices of invigilation and supervision of exams.”

In addition to logistical challenges, concerns have been raised regarding the safety of teachers and students in insecurity-prone areas. Due to previous instances where teachers and students have been ambushed in these areas, KNUT is calling on the government to heighten security to ensure smooth exam administration.

“We ask the government to ensure that areas without proper security are protected, keeping both teachers and learners safe,” Oyuu added.

In response to these concerns, the Ministry of Education has implemented new guidelines for this year’s exams. The Ministry released new guidelines, including the rotation of centre supervisors, the restriction of mobile phone use among invigilators, and the distribution of personalised question papers for each candidate.

While the KCSE exams are in full swing, preparations are also underway for the KPSEA assessment, which will begin on October 28, with over a million candidates expected to sit for the assessment.

Article By Suzy Nyongesa.