Students of Joel Omino Secondary School in Kisumu County during the start of KCSE Exams/OJWANG JOE
The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) indicated that the examinations were being conducted in over 80,000 centres with minimal hitches reported.
The candidates started with the English paper focusing on functional skills in the morning to be followed by Kiswahili papers set for Wednesday.
Capital FM News visited various schools where we interviewed teachers and students on the progress of the examinations.
“So far we are doing well. The students are focused and we are expecting them to give us good results. We wish the candidates well. We have also created awareness among them during this period and it is expected that they will write their own honest work,” Merenciah Okemwa, the Principal of the Nairobi Milimani Secondary School stated.
A number of students interviewed by Capital FM News exuded confidence that they will pass their exams since they had prepared well for them.
“After form four, I would like to pursue a course in Civil Engineering at the University. Like all the other candidates who are sitting for the exams, we all expecting to excel,” John Onyango said.
“The exams are going on well… we thank God due to the fact that he has brought us to this point and I am wishing my fellow candidates all the best,” Peter Kimani stated.
In Kisumu, the exams kicked off well with no hitches being reported.
The county police commander Nelson Njiru indicated that his office had not received any complaint from education officials.
Njiru said that an adequate number of police officers had been deployed to ensure the examinations run smoothly.
Kisumu East sub county education officer Jane Mutange pointed out that the students were well prepared and urged them not to indulge in any examination malpractice.
“As Kisumu East, we have tried to prepare all our candidates for the exams and we are hoping that this time round, there is going to be a marked improvement in performance and even in the acquisition of quality grades,” she said.
The Principal at the Chemelil Sugar Academy Charles Ogada expressed optimism that the candidates would produce good results owing to their preparations.
“This year, we cleared the syllabus early enough around term one so the students have had two terms of revision which makes them very ready for the exams and we hope for a very good performance which may be better than last year,” he stated.
President Uhuru Kenyatta in a statement wished the candidates the best and encouraged them to overcome their anxiety and face the exam confidently.
During the Mashujaa Day celebrations, his deputy William Ruto further stated that candidates will no longer have to pay examination registration fees in order to sit national exams.
The Deputy President also explained that the funds allocated to free primary education have been increased to give more students a chance at getting educated.
KNEC in the meantime stated that the KCSE examinations in Turkana started off as scheduled despite an attack where a vehicle ferrying examination material was set ablaze.
The examination material were ferried on Tuesday morning by a chopper from the Wilson Airport and distributed to schools under tight security.
Up to seven police officers remain unaccounted for following the attack that occurred between Lokori and Lopedo.
An Administration Police officer is nursing serious gunshot wounds following the attack blamed on notorious bandits in the region.
KNEC’s Chief Executive Officer Joseph Kivilu said that the burnt materials were being taken to Kapedo Mixed Secondary School which has 25 candidates.
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