This archive report was first published on 6 November 2019.
Published on November 6, 2019, a severe flood in the River Tana in Tana River County, Kenya, led to the forced relocation of 98 KCSE candidates from two secondary schools.
Due to impassable roads caused by the flood, 22 candidates from Majengo Secondary School were relocated to Ndura Secondary School, which had 76 candidates. The decision was made by Tana River sub-county Education Director Abdinassir Noor, who cited the risk of boat transport and increased anxiety caused by the presence of crocodiles.
Initially, education officials and parents of the two schools had a dispute over the merging plan, with some parents expressing concerns that candidates from Majengo Secondary School might be psychologically disrupted in a strange atmosphere.
During the previous KCPE exams, officials used canoes and boats donated by the Red Cross and the county government to transport candidates. However, with the current flood situation, these transportation methods were deemed too risky.
