<p><strong>KCPE 2020/2021 national exams marrred by labour pains</strong></p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-8951" src="https://newspro.co.ke/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Screenshot_20210322-195117-163x325.png" alt="KCPE 2020/2021 national exams mirred by labour pains" width="163" height="325" /></p>
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<p><strong>This year’s Kenya Certificate of Primary Education, KCPE, national examinations commenced with a fair share of drama after &#8220;Corona&#8221; babies decided to make their exit as their mothers were writing their final papers.</strong></p>
<p><strong>The situation saw a good number of dispensaries and hospitals converted into Knec examination centres for the KCPE candidates.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Details hitting our newsdesk indicate that at <span style="text-transform: initial;">least 21 girls who sat their first papers yesterday gave birth before the exam period while others went into labour during the exams.</span></strong></p>
<p><strong>2020/2021 KCPE candidature</strong></p>
<p><strong> 1.2 million candidates are currently taking the tests, which were put off last year following the Covid-19 outbreak.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Number of KCPE pregnant candidates per county</strong></p>
<p><strong>Migori County recorded 208 teen pregnancies during the KCPE 2020 national exams.</strong></p>
<p><strong>According to the Director of Education Ms Elizabeth Otieno , out of the 29,787 candidates who wrote their exams, 108 were pregnant girls.</strong></p>
<p><strong>This number encompasses school girls waiting to sit their final Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams starting next week.</strong></p>
<p><strong>In Homa Bay County, three KCPE candidates were rushed to local health facilities to deliver their babies.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Education officials have reiterated that a pregnancy<span style="text-transform: initial;"> or delivery will not deter any girl from sitting the examination.</span></strong></p>
<p><strong>In Kisumu East, a 17-year-old pupil at Oyola Primary School delivered a baby moments before she sat her Mathematics paper.</strong></p>
<p><strong>The girl was allowed to write the exam at the health facility in Chiga, where she had been admitted since Sunday evening.</strong></p>
<p><strong>In Kericho County, a 17-year-old new mother was among 54,700 candidates who wrote their KCPE exams yesterday.</strong></p>
<p><strong>The girl sat her Mathematics and English papers at the maternity ward in Kericho County Hospital as her twins were being managed at the new-born unit next door.</strong></p>
<p><strong>In Mwingi North, Kitui County, five female candidates wrote their exams at different health facilities where they were admitted with labour pains.</strong></p>
<p><strong>According to a police report, one of the girls, a candidate at Wikithuki Primary Schoo, delivered at Mumoni Nursing Home where she had been admitted to in the morning. Although weak, she was able to go on with her exams.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Two other candidates were admitted to Tseikuru sub-county Hospital – one from Mwangea Primary School and another from Kyamalutu Primary School.</strong></p>
<p><strong>In Kyuso sub-county, two candidates were admitted to Kyuso sub-county hospital awaiting to deliver. They were able to write their exams from the labour wards under the close watch of medical officers.</strong></p>
<p><strong>In Trans Nzoia County, two girls were rushed to the Kitale County Hospital with labour complications.</strong></p>
<p><strong>One of the girls, a pupil at Suam Primary School, had a pre-mature delivery last month and is admitted to the facility after she developed complications.</strong></p>
<p><strong>The other girl is from a school in Tongaren Constituency in Bungoma County and is expected to deliver any time.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Three girls at Toll Station Primary School gave birth recently.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Centre Manager Carolyne Ngaira said the candidates were counselled before sitting the exams.</strong></p>
<p><strong>&#8220;We have three girls who delivered days ago and are in high spirits after we counselled them before taking their exams. We hope they are going to post good results,&#8221; Mrs Ngaira told The Standard.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Two other candidates delivered minutes before the start of the examinations in the North Rift.</strong></p>
<p><strong>One of the candidates gave birth to a baby girl in Nandi County about two hours to the tests, while the second delivered at 7.30am in Uasin Gishu County. They went on to sit the examinations.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Country Education Director Zachary Mutuiri said Nandi County is one of the regions that recorded the highest number of teen pregnancies during the long Covid-19 break.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Noting that out of 3,500 primary girls who were found impregnated, over 200 are sitting their KCPE.</strong></p>
<p><strong>In the neighbouring Uasin Gishu, a candidate at Asururiet Primary School also gave birth to a girl at 7.30am.</strong></p>
<p><strong>County Director of Education Gitonga Mbaka said the girl was in good condition and she sat yesterday&#8217;s papers without any difficulty.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Source: The Standard</strong></p>