KDF to escort examination in Lamu County, Regional Commissioner says

Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) officers will escort examination papers in areas that have experienced security challenges in Lamu County, Regional Commissioner John Elung’ata said Monday.

This, Elung’ata said, was part of the multi-agency approach the government had employed to ensure security and integrity of the examinations as well the security of candidates and examination officials.

Speaking at the Kakoneni Girls Secondary School in Malindi Sub County, Kilifi County, after witnessing the distribution of examination papers at the Malindi Deputy County Commissioner’s office, Elung’ata said all examination centres in the region were secure.

“The examination centres are safe because of the multi-agency effort we have employed. In places such as Lamu East, KDF is supporting police officers and ourselves to deliver the exams to ensure that the exams are safely administered and returned to the containers,” he said in an interview.

He said the regional security and intelligence team had so far not received any reports regarding examination and candidates’ safety but added that the team was vigilant and would assess every situation as the days go by.

“We are confident that with the strategies in place, the examinations will be administered to the very end without any hitches,” he said.

He said a total of 52,015 candidates were sitting the 2021 KCSE examinations in all the six counties within the region, out of which 25,864 are girls and 26,151 are boys.

He said the campaign for the rights of the girl child had started bearing fruit since many more girls were sitting KCSE examinations and said with the trend, gender parity would soon be achieved.

Elung’ata, who was accompanied by senior officers Ministry of Education officials and the Teachers Commission in the region urged candidates to put God first and confidently write their examinations without external help.

He promised to give a reward of Ksh 50,000 to the girl who would score a mean grade of ‘A’ in the examination at the Kakoneni Girls Secondary School.