At least 30,468 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) 2026 candidates have started their national examinations in 429 centres in Makueni County.

The County Director of Education (CDE) Lucy Resiato disclosed that there are 358 public schools and 71 private institutions, where 14,877 boys and 15,591 girls will sit for their KCSE examinations that kicked-off Monday at 8.30am.

Speaking to Kenya News Agency (KNA) on Monday, Resiato disclosed that one girl in Makindu Sub county developed labour pains and was rushed to Makindu Sub county Hospital where she gave birth.

“The examination has kicked-off well across the county. However, there was one girl who experienced labour pains as the exams started. She was rushed to hospital where she delivered and continued with her exams,” she said.

The examination materials were collected by centre managers from 21 containers spread across the 10 Deputy County Commissioners offices and 11 Assistant County Commissioners offices respectively.

On his part, the Makueni Sub-County Director of Education Richard Ng’ang’a said examination materials had been successfully released to all designated centres, with security officers and transport arrangements in place.

Ng’ang’a said the sub-county has 51 examination centres, comprising 50 public centres and one private centre, where English was administered during the morning session.

He said 2,870 candidates were expected to sit the English examination, while 2,861 candidates were scheduled for Chemistry in the second session.

The slight difference in candidature, he explained, was due to some learners who were not taking Chemistry, including candidates in an adult education centre.

Ng’ang’a said the sub-county security teams, led by the Deputy County Commissioner (DCC), worked closely to ensure examination materials reached all centres despite concerns over the anticipated El Niño-related weather conditions.

“So far, the examination material in the sub county has been collected successfully by the centre managers from the two containers in the area. There is no incident reported,” stated Ng’ang’a, while speaking to the media outside the County Commissioner’s Office on Monday.

He added that there were no candidates sitting the examinations from prison within the sub-county.

Addressing the media, the Makueni Sub-County DCC Said Abdallah said security personnel had been deployed to all examination centres, while adequate vehicles had been provided to facilitate the transportation of examination materials.

Abdallah said security teams were also monitoring the examination container serving Makueni and another container in neighbouring Kaiti, with no challenges reported so far.

“For Makueni Sub-County, you can say that all is well, and we are expecting it to remain so, up to the last day of this national exercise,” said Abdullah.

On his part, the Makueni Sub-County TSC Director Daniel Ole Munyere said teachers and examination officials were fully prepared to oversee the exercise.

He disclosed that the sub-county has 51 centres, supported by 51 centre managers, 58 supervisors and 262 invigilators, all of whom had been adequately prepared for the national examination.

Munyere said teachers were ready to administer the examinations diligently despite the possibility of adverse weather conditions during the examination period.

The officials emphasized the importance of maintaining security, integrity and proper examination procedures throughout the exercise, assuring candidates and their parents that all necessary measures had been put in place to safeguard the examinations.

By Patrick Nyakundi