DP Ruto visits Ngong Forest school as KCPE enters day 2

Deputy President William Ruto greets candidates at the Ngong Forest Primary School on their second day of KCPE exams on October 30, 2019. PHOTO | FAITH NYAMAI | NATION MEDIA GROUP

Deputy President William Ruto on Wednesday oversaw the distribution of the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) Science paper at Ngong Forest Primary School in Nairobi.

The DP assured Kenyans that the government has put in place measures to ensure that all candidates sit for their papers.

“As has been reported, the government has ensured there is enough transport and we also have standby helicopters to ensure exams reach the candidates on time,” he said.

“There has been few challenges including transportation of examinations in some parts of country due to the ongoing rains but contingency arrangements have been made,” he added.

Dr Ruto was accompanied by Basic Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang and the Kenya National Examination (KNEC) chief executive Mercy Karogo.

On Tuesday, almost the entire Cabinet abandoned its policy formulation role to oversee dispatch of exam papers across the country.

Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha was in Mombasa, Najib Balala of Tourism in the capital Nairobi, Transport CS James Macharia (Murang’a), Public Service CS Margaret Kobia (Meru), Interior CS Fred Matiang’i (Nakuru) while his ICT counterpart Joe Mucheru was in Nyeri.

Besides Cabinet secretaries, principal secretaries and chief administrative officers also abandoned their offices to open exam containers that act as stores.

NEW SCHOOL

The Ngong Forest school is also hosting candidates from the Precious Talent Academy, whose classrooms collapsed killing nine pupils last month.

Dr Ruto said the government has resources to build a new public primary school at Lenana School in Nga'ndo Ward, Dagoretti South by early next year.

The school, when built, will be the first public primary school in the ward.

“We believe that the school will help children around the area. We expect that the National Youth Service will help in the construction so that by January we have a school,” said the DP.

The government has provided a vehicle to ferry the Precious Talent candidates to and from the Ngong Forest school about 2km away.

CHARGES

Dr Kipsang said headteachers of schools that have been reported to have failed to register some candidates will be charged.

Before visiting Ngong Forest school, Dr Kipsang was in Lang'ata to open exam containers and distribute the papers.

“So far we have not experienced any irregularities as the exams are going on smoothly,” he said.

In Nairobi, nine candidates did not sit for the papers. Three pupils are said to have relocated from the country, a candidate at Riruta Satellite was reported to have gone missing, while five others at Mwiki Primary failed to turn up. The school said efforts to reach parents failed.