This archive report was first published on 11 November 2019.
On November 8, 2019, a group of Form Four candidates and invigilators were exposed to a highly toxic chemical compound called xylene during chemistry practical exams in various parts of the country.
The Education ministry and the Kenya National Examination Council (Knec) have come under scrutiny for allegedly exposing the examiners and examinees to the poisonous chemical.
According to reports, Knec directed headteachers to buy and use xylene as an alternative for cyclohexane, which was unavailable in the market. The candidates were supposed to heat the chemical and observe the flame produced, without protective wear.
Several supervisors and invigilators who were exposed to the fumes in Nyeri, Embu, and Meru counties were reported to have been taken ill after the exam.
A teacher from Nyeri, who wished to remain anonymous, said he had been feeling sickly since Friday. 'I was in the room with the students for two hours and when the students burned the chemical it produced a lot of soot and since then I have been feeling sick and dizzy,' he said.
Some schools in the Eastern region were forced to give the candidates milk to neutralise the effects of the toxins during the chemical reaction.
Exposure to xylene vapours in small amounts causes headache, dizziness, drowsiness, and nausea. Prolonged exposure to xylene can cause sleepiness, irregular heartbeat, fainting, or even death.
Knec, which directed teachers to buy the hazardous chemical, is yet to respond to queries on the matter.
