KCPE exams kick off countrywide for 1.2M candidates

The Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examinations have kicked off countrywide with 1.2 million candidates expected to sit for the exams.

The candidates who are spread across the more than 10,000 exam centres will sit for KCPE from March 22 up to March 24, 2021.

The distribution of examination materials began early Monday morning with senior Ministry of Education officials and other government agencies overseeing the exercise in different counties across the country.

A total of 479 examination papers containers across the country were opened at 6am ahead of the distribution exercise.

Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha who was in Thika expressed confidence that the exercise would proceed seamlessly.

“The students are very well prepared, the examination was also prepared taking that into consideration, all government agencies are here and as you can see, it is all systems go, all the 479 examination containers were opened today at 6am across the country,” CS Magoha said.

There was confusion however, after several teachers arrived late for the exercise, long after CS Magoha had arrived.

“There was a slight hiccup today but it does not involve the integrity of the examinations, some teachers did not arrive on time, we are going to ensure that this is solved and teachers arrive by 6am ” CS Magoha said.

During the exercise, CS Magoha sounded a warning to schools that had collected money from students but failed to register them for the examinations saying they would face the full wrath of the law.

He however said the students would still be allowed to sit for the examinations as the government had met the costs for the National examinations for both public and private schools.

Last week, the Ministry of Education announced that all preparations for the National examinations including COVID-19 protocols were in place.

The ministry also cautioned against exam malpractices saying stern action will be taken against any school found to be engaging in the vice.

The pupils will be sitting for their papers after a 7-month break from school occasioned by the outbreak of the novel coronavirus which was reported in the country in early March 2020.

According to CS Magoha, the students appear to have recovered from the long school break and are adequately prepared to sit for their papers.