Some examination centres in the volatile counties of North Rift will be converted into temporary boarding facilities, Rift Valley Regional Commissioner Mohamed Maalim has said.
He said the move was to make candidates comfortable during the Kenya Certificate of Primary/Secondary examinations.
Maalim has also promised that the government will use all means of transport including motorbikes and choppers to deliver test papers in the region that has rough terrain and is sometimes flooded.
The RC said schools that had been closed due to insecurity had either been re-opened or the candidates relocated to neighbouring schools from where they would write their examinations.
He added that additional security personnel had been deployed to Turkana, West Pokot, Elgeyo Marakwet, Baringo, Samburu and Laikipia to intensify beats and patrols and ensure the examinations ran smoothly.
"Due to the distances to be covered and the volatile nature of the affected areas, the schools have been converted into boarding facilities to ensure the candidates are comfortable and the logistics are manageable," he said.
Speaking after a closed-door meeting with the Regional Security Intelligence Committee which included, Regional directors for Education and Teachers Service Commission (TSC), Maalim said part of the relief food dispatched recently by President Uhuru Kenyatta for Arid and Semi-Arid Lands would be used to feed the candidates for the examination duration.
The meeting at the Rift Valley Regional Headquarters offices in Nakuru drew regional security officers from all the units of National Police Service County Commissioners from all the 14 counties and members of their County Security Management Committees.
He was quick to add that besides the insecurity, there were other reasons set out by the Kenya National Examination Council (Knec) for the relocation of candidates to neighbouring examination centres such as having less than 30 candidates.
"There are certain special cases where the Government and Knec have given consideration and allowed schools in the vast lands of Elgeyo Marakwet to be examination centres even without the required number of candidates," he said.
On the issue of missing candidates, Maalim teams had been deployed to trace and bring them back to write the exams.
"We have noticed that there are normally missing candidates during the nationals exams and the government have put in measures to trace and account for every registered learner," he said.
While noting that this was a campaign year, Maalim urged politicians and their supporters to be sensitive and desist from making noise pollution near examinations centres.
He warned that those found culpable would be charged according to the law and have their equipment impounded.
