Examiners were unable to trace 46 candidates who were to sit for the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education examination which kicked off on Monday, March 7, across the country.
The 46 candidates went missing from Embu County and efforts by the local authorities to trace them before the KCPE exams started proved futile.
Embu County Director of Education James Kairu confirmed that the pupils were not found and therefore, missed the national test, which crucial in the transition to high school. He added that they had dispatched a multi-agency teach, including police and the local government authorities to assist in locating the learners but they were never seen.
Upon investigation by authorities, Kairu explained that some of the missing pupils were from families which were evicted from a contested piece of land believed to be under the ownership of the Tana and Athi Rivers Development Authority (TARDA).
Kairu opined that some of the learners might have been affected by the evictions which were conducted under the watch of police officers. During the eviction, police demolished stalls at Ndunguni market and houses on the land.
"It is true some candidates did not sit for the national examination because they could not be found. We looked for them unsuccessfully," the Embu County Director of Education stated.
"I think the candidates were relocated to an unknown place after their families were destabilised during the evictions," he added.
Meanwhile, Embu Sub-County Education Director Joseph Ngonjo, told Capital FM that the learners had been registered to sit for the national exams but their desks remain unoccupied as their classmates continued with the exam.
Ngonjo noted that efforts to reach them from their homes had been unfruitful as most reportedly left without a trace.
“This is the biggest challenge we are having of many candidates failing to turn up for the examinations yet their whereabouts remain a mystery,” he stated.
He opined that the most believable reason behind the learner's absence was that they may have left their homes in search of casual labour in Muguka farms and sand harvesting are the most predominant economic activity in the area.
“The Ministry of Education and other stakeholders here are doing everything possible to trace the candidates,” Ngonjo maintained.
