Lamu, KENYA: The Kenya Certificate of Primary Education-KCPE exams in schools close to the Lamu-Somali border have kicked off under tight security from the KDF and police.
The schools include Kiunga, Ishakani and Mkokoni primary schools.
Lamu county commissioner Gilbert Kitiyo assured parents, teachers and the pupils of enough security and said they had taken adequate precaution to ensure the pupils are not just safe but comfortable too.
He said schools on the Lamu-Somali had been given special attention and that as such adequate number of security officers had been deployed to keep vigil as the candidates sit their exams for the three day period.
“We have enough security in all schools in the county but we have given special consideration to schools on the Lamu-Somalia border.We don’t expect any surprises but we have just ensured the schools receive extra security to ensure the nothing disrupts the exams,” said Kitiyo.
Meanwhile, the KCPE exams kicked off well in Lamu County on Tuesday with all the 2,385 class eight candidates who had been registered for this year’s KCPE turning up for the exams in various centres in the county.
Kitiyo said his office has also taken elaborate measures to curb and avoid exam cheating by ensuring the exams storage containers are under heavy armed security and extra vigilance.
No incidents were recorded as the exams kicked off with all candidates availing themselves for the exams as opposed to last year when some students went missing on the D-day.
The KCPE candidates from terror-prone areas of Basuba Ward and Pandanguo have been moved to safer centers where they are sitting the exams.
Candidates from terror-prone Basuba ward are doing their exams at the Mokowe Arid Zone primary school.
At the moment, all schools in Basuba Ward including Bassuba, Milimani, Mangai, Mararani, and Kiangwe have remained closed for over two years now owing to insecurity due to ASl-Shabaab attacks and raids.
Candidates from yet another terror-prone area of Pandanguo are have been moved to Witu primary school where they are now sitting their exams.
Pandanguo primary school has remained closed since July this year when Alshabaab militants attacked the village and killed several people.
