The government has announced plans to use helicopters to deliver Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination papers to schools in parts of Elgeyo Marakwet County that have been cut off by floods and mudslides.
Government Spokesman Isaac Mwaura said all preparations for the exams have been finalized, with logistical measures in place to ensure that every candidate can sit their papers despite the ongoing natural disaster.
“We already have the exams secured in safe places, and for areas affected by the floods and mudslides, we will use choppers to airlift papers and officials,” said Mwaura.
He added that one helicopter is already on standby at the Eldoret Airstrip to facilitate the airlifting of exams to the affected areas. More than a dozen schools in the Kerio Valley region have been impacted by the heavy rains, which have caused significant damage to infrastructure and rendered some roads impassable.
Mwaura assured the public that the government is determined to ensure all registered candidates are accounted for and supported to complete their exams. “We have teams working on the ground to ensure that the exams will go on smoothly even as we intervene to assist those affected by the mudslides,” he said.
In addition, one KCSE candidate who was injured during the mudslides will sit for their exams at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) in Eldoret, where 28 other victims are currently admitted.
Government officials are stationed at the Eldoret Airstrip to coordinate rescue operations and oversee the safe delivery of exam materials to the affected schools.
The move underscores the government’s commitment to ensuring that no student misses their exams due to the ongoing floods, which have disrupted learning and displaced several families in the Kerio Valley region.
