- The region registered 26, 151 girls compared to 25,864 boys.
- The region has 586 centres across the six counties: Mombasa, Kwale, Lamu, Tana River, Taita Taveta and Kilifi.
Image: AURA RUTH
The coastal region registered more girls who will be sitting the 2021 KCSE examination, which begins on Monday countrywide.
A total of 53,190 Form 4 candidates are expected to sit the national exams examination in 586 centres across the six counties of the coast: Mombasa, Kwale, Lamu, Tana River, Taita Taveta and Kilifi.
The Coastal region registered 26, 151 girls compared to 25,864 boys.
Kilifi county has registered more Form 4 candidates, with 20,360, followed by Mombasa with 11,975, Kwale has 8,969 and Taita Taveta has 6,511.
Tana River and Lamu counties have the least number of candidates. They registered 2,389 and 1,809 candidates respectively.
According to data from the Ministry of Education, the coast region has seen an increase of 9,617 more candidates, who will be sitting the 2021 national examinations compared to the 2020 candidates.
In 2020, a total of 40,573 candidates sat for the KCSE examination.
The Coast regional director of education Adan Roble said they are well prepared to administer the exams.
He said every student who registered for the KCSE examinations, including those in special schools and those who might be in hospital because of sickness or pregnancy, will sit for the paper.
“Last year, the coast region recorded a slight poor performance, but this year we are expecting good results because the Ministry of Education and teachers played a good role in preparing the learners,” Roble said.
He was speaking during a meeting with education and security stakeholders on preparation of the examinations at the Coast Girls High School, Mombasa.
At the primary school level, a total of 101,857 candidates have been registered to sit KCPE exams.
However, more boys (50,634), compared to girls (50,215) will be sitting the KCPE examinations in 1,892 centres spread across the Coast region.
Mombasa has 21,515 candidates, Kilifi has registered 39,079, Kwale County has 23,220 whereas Taita Taveta has 8,586. Tana River has 5,795, and Lamu has the least of 3,662 candidates.
Mombasa county director of education Peter Magiri said the learners will be given a conducive environment to undertake their examination.
He said they will not allow any kind of activities, which are not related to national examinations, to take place in all the schools within the region.
“We all know that we are in a political campaign season. We will not allow any kind of meetings within or around the school premises. No visitor is also allowed in the examination centres,” he said.
Mombasa county commissioner Lucas Mwanza said the security is ready to ensure that there is efficient management of examinations.
“We expect a smooth exam period and conducive environment for the candidates. All security officers should be committed to ensure they work with efficiency to the role assigned," he said.
"Every person involved in this process should uphold integrity because it is what will give us results that will be respected globally.”
He said legal action will be taken against any person who will go against the law and that his office will be actively involved in the whole process.
“I want to assure you that we have adequate officers who will participate in the exercise and who will ensure that the candidates and exam materials are safe.”
Coast regional commissioner John Elungata assured candidates and exam managers of adequate security within the examination centres during this year’s national examinations.
Elungata said there would be enough security personnel manning all the examination centres and adequate vehicles to transport the examination materials.
He said the exams will be kept in containers with tight security.
"Only deputy county commissioners and subcounty directors of education are the only people allowed to have the keys to the containers."
(edited by Amol Awuor)