It’s only day two of the 2018 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education national examinations but all the drama makes it feel like it’s been going on for a month.
Today, a candidate from Koyoo Primary School in Rangwe Constituency, Homa Bay County was rushed to Kisii County Referral Hospital after consuming poison under unclear circumstances.
The candidate identified as Rooney Okoth Ongola was rushed to hospital in critical condition after he consumed a pesticide known as Triatix on Tuesday night at their home in Kowano village. The boy took the poison after sitting for the first the three exams.
According to Homa Bay County Police Commander, Marius Tum the candidate will miss the remaining exams as he is in an unstable condition. Assistant Area Chief James Omino said that the candidate had called his friend to inform him that he had consumed poison. He allegedly sneaked into his bedroom with the poison
According to the area Assistant Chief James Omino, it is believed that the candidate sneaked into his bedroom with the poison and consumed it after which he called his friend to inform him of what he had just done. The school administrator confessed that the boy who has been living with his brother had been skipping school and disappearing from their home.
Meanwhile, in Kikubi Primary School in Suba North Constituency another KCPE candidate was rushed to hospital after she developed labor pains just as she was about to sit for her exams on the second day.
However, this isn’t the first candidate to go into labor during this years KCPE examination. Yesterday, a class eight student at Misuuni Primary School in Kitui county was blessed with the gift of a child as she sat for English paper exam. The student is believed to have gone into labor in the exam room and was assisted by the head teacher, Ms Naomi Mbaki and KCPE officials who delivered her bouncing baby girl.
According to Ms Mbaki, the candidate was rushed to Mbiti Health Center where she was admitted to receive specialized medical treatment. In the afternoon, KCPE officials took the English composition examination to the new mother who wrote her exam as her baby lay in the hospital’s women wing.
In Kwale county, yet another student from Voroni Primary School gave birth just as the KCPE exams kicked off. According to reports from the Kwale Commissioner, Karuku Ngumo, the girl started having labor pains and was taken to Kwale hospital where she safely delivered a baby boy without any complications. Once she was stable, the class eight pupil took her mathematics exam from her hospital bed.
Yesterday, a candidate from Iruri Primary School in Maara Sub-County, Tharaka Nithi County was attacked and stabbed severally by a knife on her head by her boyfriend on her way to school. Her boyfriend boyfriend who had refused her to sit for the national examinations because he wanted to marry her, attacked her and fled.
According to Maara OCPD Johnstone Kabusia, the girl was not in a bad state thus was given First Aid and allowed sat to write her mathematics examination.
In Kilifi, Magarini Sub County, two girls failed to turn up for their exams after they reportedly got married.
Magarini Deputy County Commissioner Simon Lokorio said locals claimed that the two girls from Kaembeni Primary School got married in the nearby villages after they could not be traced in their homes. According to one of the teachers in the school, the two girls had developed a negative attitude towards education.
“The two were rarely attending school and they were too rude to their teachers. They used to view school assignments and home work as a total waste of time,” said a teacher from Kaembeni Primary School who sought anonymity.
The Deputy County Commissioner directed chiefs and police officers to hunt down and take legal action against the men who he said were preying on young school girls for marriage and sex.
Today, in Gatanga constituency, a 14-year old girl KCPE candidate from Mwiting’iri primary school died after falling sick as she sat for her exams.
According to the school head teacher, Lydia Mwangi, on noting the candidate’s condition, she call the parents who took her to Thika level 5 hospital. The girl was expected to write her examinations from until the local administration confirmed that she had passed away at around 5 am.
Do you think all the drama unfolding affects the performance of all other candidates?