This archive report was first published on 18 December 2021.
Magoha Dismisses Demands for KCSE, KCPE Postponement ¶
Education Cabinet Secretary Prof. George Magoha has dismissed demands from headteachers to postpone the KCPE and KCSE exams scheduled for March 2021, citing that postponing the exams would not solve the rising cases of students' unrest in schools.
Speaking at Kabarak University's 17th graduation ceremony, Magoha noted that the examinations are ready and that candidates should not panic. He urged them to be calm and prepare for the tests, which have taken into consideration challenges occasioned by disruptions to the academic calendar.
Magoha stated, "The examinations are ready. Candidates should not panic. Let them be calm and prepare for the tests, which have taken into consideration challenges occasioned by disruptions to the academic calendar."
He added that President Uhuru Kenyatta urged all students and graduates at Kabarak to adhere to the law and refrain from vandalism, arson, and other vices that may dent their future.
Magoha and his Interior CS counterpart, Fred Matiang'i, had earlier called for the reintroduction of caning in schools to curb the unrest. Matiang'i noted, "We must discipline our children. So our work is to build schools as they destroy down? It's tough love, our children must understand that parents sacrifice a lot for them."
Magoha's dismissal of the demands comes as headteachers argued that they were ill-prepared and needed more time to prepare for the exams. Kahi Indimuli, the chairperson of the Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (KESSHA), stated that when Form Four students returned to school after a long break, they were not properly engaged and some ventured into businesses while others became mischievous.
Indimuli added, "Once they came back to school, they realized that they were not prepared for the examinations."
Among schools that witnessed unrest were Buruburu Girls High School and Ofafa Jericho in Nairobi, Kanjuri High School and Karima Boys High School in Nyeri, Sigalame High School and Namboboto secondary school in Busia, Vihiga Boys Secondary School and Chavakali High School in Vihiga, and Kakamega High School in Kakamega County.
Parents were forced to shoulder the burden of repairing and constructing classrooms and dormitories that were either vandalized or burned down.
