NYERI – The Kenya Certificate of Secondary School Examination (KCSE) began today with over 903,000 candidates set to sit for the common papers nationwide. The process commenced smoothly, marking a critical phase for secondary school students across the country.
According to Kenya News Agency, Sabina Aroni, who oversaw the examination materials at the Nyeri Central sub-county container, preparations have been completed in the five counties of Kiambu, Kirinyaga, Murang’a, Nyandarua, and Nyeri. Despite the onset of heavy rains in the region, the Ministry of Education, in coordination with other government agencies, is ensuring that the examination papers are distributed without disruptions.
The local disaster committee in Nyeri county has put out warnings for potential flooding in the Kieni East and Kieni West sub-counties and landslides in Mukurwe-ini and Tetu sub-counties. Aroni acknowledged the increased rainfall but remained confident that the challenges would not significantly impact the examination schedule, noting that the conditions may cause slippery roads. She emphasized the importance of safety, advising examination officers not to risk traveling in heavy rain with the examination papers and to wait for conditions to improve.
In the region, 119,396 candidates have registered for the KCSE, including 1,114 private candidates, who will be taking their examinations in 41 designated centers. Nyeri county itself has a total of 19,856 candidates, with a split of 9,998 male and 9,858 female candidates. Among these are 210 male and 585 female private candidates, and four inmates from the Nyeri Maximum prison will also be participating in the exams.
Candidates began their day with the Chemistry paper, followed by English Paper 1, focusing on functional skills, and English Paper 2, covering comprehension, in the afternoon. The examination period is scheduled to conclude on November 24, with the Physics practical test.