KNEC rules out special exams for Northern region
The Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) has said that there will be no special examinations for candidates in Mandera, Wajir, Isiolo and Marsabit counties.
KNEC Chief Executive Officer Dr. Joseph Kivilu said that the only option candidates in the Northern region have is to do examinations next year or when they are prepared if they feel that they are not ready this year.
Speaking on Thursday on the sidelines of a ‘Stakeholders Forum on School Unrest’ held at Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD), Nairobi, Kivilu said KNEC like other examinations bodies elsewhere in the world issues national certificates and there is no room for special certificates.
There have been calls for special examinations for candidates in Northern region because of fears that they will be ill-prepared to sit for the national examinations.
INSECURITY
Learning in the Northern region has been disrupted since the beginning of the year due to insecurity. Non local teachers refused to report to their respective schools in the First Term after a series of terrorist attacks by Al Shabaab which claimed several lives and left others injured.
Kivilu assured candidates, teachers and parents in Northern region that the examination will go on as planned.
“We have done it before. We will work closely with other government agencies. Examinations will be administered to all registered candidates,” assured Kivilu.
Kivilu said about 500,000 candidates registered for the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) while about 800,000 others will sit for Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE).