A Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) student collapsed on Tuesday morning after receiving several slaps from a Ministry of Education official.
The incident happened at Sironga Girls High School in Bogichora location, Nyamira County, as the examinations were underway.
According to a police statement obtained by Kenyans.co.ke, the candidate was doing her examinations in the assigned exam room when Beatrice Kendi, a quality assurance officer, checked the room at about 9 a.m. to conduct a routine inspection.
Reportedly, the officer observed the student was chewing something that looked suspicious which prompted further probe.
The said officer approached the student and after interrogations, landed several slaps on the candidate after failing to obtain any exhibit.
“She moved closer and slapped the student severally but did not recover any exhibit to effect,” the police statement read in part.
The police statement further indicated the student remained restless in class. However, as the examination came to an end at around 10 am the student collapsed.
She was immediately rushed to the school dispensary for first aid where she was attended to and discharged. This was also confirmed by the examination invigilator at the centre. The student was thereafter admitted to the hospital.
Following the incident, security and education officials visited the school to ascertain the matter which has since sparked public uproar.
“Officials visited the school and established that during the morning examination session at around 9 am in room no 9 an official from the Ministry of Education (Quality Assurance) namely Beatrice Kendi made a snap check in the said room, upon entry she saw one female student chewing something which she suspected to be unauthorized material,” the report added.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) detectives have launched investigations into the matter.
It comes barely two weeks after a form four student from the school jumped from the second floor of one of the school’s hostels when other girls were going to take a shower. She fell, hit her head, and was rushed to Nyamira Level Five where she was pronounced dead.
