Candidates Forced to Take Exams at Night

A day following the commencement of the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) and Kenya Primary Schools’ Examination (KPSEA) nationwide, distressing reports have emerged, revealing that candidates in the North Rift region were compelled to take their exams during nighttime hours due to significant delays in exam paper deliveries.

The latest updates, as detailed in Wednesday’s edition of the People Daily, shed light on a dire situation where hundreds of students in grade six and class eight were left with no choice but to patiently wait until nightfall to undertake their critical examinations.

In certain regions, as reported in the same news outlet, students encountered an even more arduous challenge – the need to relocate to neighboring schools because the original venues had become inaccessible due to impassable roads.

Notably, in Samburu, a distressing scenario unfolded as students from two schools were compelled to initiate their examinations at an unusually late hour of 3 pm and continued until 10 pm.

This delay was attributed to a bus transporting exam papers getting stuck, prompting the authorities to employ a Land Cruiser as a last-minute substitute to transport the papers, albeit during the late afternoon.

This predicament is particularly disheartening when juxtaposed with the fact that the government has access to ample resources, which, if properly harnessed, could have considerably enhanced the delivery of exams, ensuring accessibility to a substantial number of students in the North Rift region.

It is noteworthy that Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu had previously urged the government to consider employing helicopters to airlift exams to remote areas facing flood-related accessibility challenges.

What is perhaps most disconcerting is that despite the urgency and gravity of the situation, Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu has yet to officially address the issue, and there has been a notable absence of statements or actions from any other government officials.

This state of affairs raises questions regarding the government’s responsiveness to the educational needs of its young citizens, especially in regions where geographical and weather-related obstacles can significantly impact their access to critical examinations.

The urgency of rectifying this situation cannot be overstated, and swift action is needed to prevent further disruptions to the education of students in the North Rift and other vulnerable areas.