KCPE Candidate in Tinderet Gives Birth Hours Before Exam, Continues with Test
Tinderet, Nandi County – A young student scheduled to take the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examination experienced an unexpected turn of events as she went into labor and gave birth just hours before her science paper.
According to Kenya News Agency, Deputy County Commissioner (DCC), Esther Oyugi Odhiambo, the candidate delivered a baby at Meteitei Sub-County Hospital on Tuesday morning. Despite the circumstances, the new mother was in stable condition and managed to proceed with her Science and Kiswahili exams at a nearby center as the KCPE examination entered its second day. “Doctors have confirmed that she underwent a normal delivery and was in good shape to sit for the exams. All necessary arrangements were made to ensure she could continue with her examination without any issues,” Odhiambo stated during an interview with KNA.
On a related note, another student, this time a male candidate sitting for the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) exam, was also taken to Meteitei Sub-County Hospital due to health complications on Tuesday morning. Odhiambo confirmed that after receiving medical attention, he too was able to sit for his exams at a nearby center.
However, the exam process in the region faced challenges beyond the health issues of these two candidates. Odhiambo pointed out that heavy rains on Sunday night had adversely affected the transportation of exam papers due to poor road conditions, resulting in delays. She also disclosed that the area experienced issues with paper mix-ups affecting three schools in the Sub County. “There was a packaging error where scripts for candidates from different centers got mixed up. This happened to Chemamul Primary, Tinderet Primary, and Kapkeno Academy, causing a delay as we waited for the correct exam materials to arrive,” she explained.
Additionally, Kimwagi and Kapchanga Primary Schools encountered a situation where the outer packaging of the KPSEA exams bore the correct school details, but the scripts inside belonged to a different school. Despite these issues, Odhiambo confirmed that there were no security breaches reported during the national examination period, attributing this to heightened surveillance by police officers at all exam centers.
In terms of participation, the Sub County had a total of 4,967 KCPE candidates and 3,687 KPSEA candidates, with boys making up a higher percentage of the total. Furthermore, 15 adult candidates were registered for the 2023 KCPE examinations in Tinderet Sub County, comprising 8 men and 7 women.