About 47 candidates in Kwale to miss KCSE exams

At least 47 KCSE candidates from Bongwe Secondary School in Msambweni, Kwale County will have to miss their final exams after the school management allegedly failed to register them with Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC).

The apprehensive students said they learned of their unfortunate circumstances last week after the school called their parents accusing them of delaying in paying their registration fees.

Faraji Juma, a parent to one of the students in the school, complained that he had paid the entire fee needed for registration despite the school stating that he hadn’t.

“This seems like a conning scheme and we are tired of it. We as parents need to know where our money is going,” he added.

The community school which is yet to be taken up by government and registered as an exam center registers its candidates as private candidates through a different exam center.

Each candidate claimed they paid Sh8,000 to register for exams.

They have been camping at the Diani Police Station as their parents camped outside the headteacher’s office as they seek a solution to the situation.

Msambeni police boss, Joseph Omija, promised the disappointed students and their parents that the matter would be investigated.

This comes just two weeks after the Kenya National Examination Council announced that about 1.4 million candidates are to sit for this year’s KCPE and KCSE exams, with the exam dates for Kenya Certificate of Secondary School Education (KSCE) being set for October 12, while the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education exams (KCPE) are set to start from November 10 to 12, 2015.

The government dismissed calls by a section of leaders and members of the public to postpone the national examinations due to the ongoing teachers’ strike, which has now left confusion as to whether the examinations will still go on this year.

Teachers have vowed to stay out of class till their pay increment is effected.

Candidates on the other hand are still preparing for the examinations even as practical and oral examinations begin.