A total of 5,530 pupils registered for the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education exam but did not turn up for the test, statistics show.
According to the Kenya National Examination Council, some 1,088,986 candidates were registered for the exam but only 1,083, 456 did the test.
The number represents a 0.51 per cent decrease in the number of absentee candidates.
Last year, a total of 8,347 candidates missed the exam despite having registered for the test. The number stood at 9,726 in 2017.
Authorities attributed cases of absenteeism to child labour and early pregnancies.
In some instances, candidates were in probation centres but were released months to exam.
For instance in Kitui county, three of the 15 registered candidates at the Kitui prison did not show up to sit the first paper after their release.
Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha said Meru and Turkana counties had the highest number of absentee candidates at 407 and 385 respectively.
Magoha also said the number of under-age candidates increased from 15,747 in 2018 to 20,086 this year.
Bungoma county leads with 1,144 under-age candidates followed by Kericho (1,144) and Bomet (1,111).
Turkana, Kilifi and Garissa topped the list of counties with highest number of over-age candidates (19 years) with 4,013, 3,716 and 1,957 respectively.
The 2019 KCPE exam was conducted from October 29 to October 31 and a total of 191,016 professionals were contracted to administer the test.
Magoha said there were 27,808 centre managers, 28,014 supervisors, 66807 invigilators, 58,060 security officers, 2,860 examination management directors, 479 clerks and 6,987 drivers who were deployed in the exam administration process.
“They were spread across the country to ensure all KNEC regulations were complied with,” Magoha said.
edited by peter obuya
