A total of 72 candidates sat for the recently concluded Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) and Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examinations while pregnant in Narok County
This marked a notable drop from the 248 candidates who sat for exams while pregnant in the previous year (2022), encompassing both primary and secondary levels.
Narok County Commissioner, Isaac Masinde, attributed this decline to a concerted effort among various education stakeholders to raise awareness about the perils of early sexual engagement. Instead, they encouraged young students to focus on their studies, fostering a brighter future for themselves.
“We collaborated with the Department of Education, Children, the Council of Elders, religious leaders, and other non-state actors to sensitize the community about the necessity of abandoning retrogressive cultural practices and embracing education. This collaborative effort has led to the reduction in the number of pregnant cases among our students,” explained Masinde.
Of the 72 pregnant candidates who sat for the exams, 20 were grade 6 pupils taking the KPSEA exams, and 52 were preparing for the KCPE exams. Remarkably, five of these candidates had to take their exams in the hospital as they developed labor pains during the exam period.
Narok East Sub County had the highest number of pregnancy cases, with 10 candidates taking KPSEA exams while pregnant and 12 others sitting for KCPE under similar circumstances. In contrast, Trans Mara South Sub County had only one candidate who was pregnant during the examination period.
Though the County Commissioner did not disclose the exact number of pregnant candidates sitting for Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams, he affirmed that the numbers have considerably decreased compared to last year’s statistics.
As the long holiday period approaches, the county commissioner urged parents to remain close to their children and provide guidance to ensure they make responsible choices. Furthermore, he issued a stern warning to those considering Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) on young children, emphasizing that they risk arrest and prosecution for such harmful practices.
In total, 14,544 candidates are currently sitting for the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE), 43,465 for the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE), and an additional 39,976 for the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA).
