Eight KCSE Candidates Faint, Five Hospitalized as Gas Leak Disrupts Examination at Makande Girls Secondary School.
Five of these students remain hospitalized at Makadara General Hospital in Mombasa.
The leak interrupted the Kiswahili paper, as gas spread across a significant area of the examination center. Following the incident, 84 out of the registered 90 candidates were relocated to Makande Boys Secondary School to complete their exams.
The five hospitalized candidates are expected to be discharged in the afternoon and will sit for their missed paper upon release. On the exam schedule, candidates were slated to take the Kiswahili Language paper in the morning, followed by Insha in the afternoon.
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Law enforcement is actively investigating the gas leak, but its origin remains unidentified. There is speculation that the leak could stem from nearby businesses that allegedly dispose of their waste near the school compound, which may have contributed to the gas issue.
Safety measures were swiftly implemented, with the area of highest gas concentration now contained.
Parental Reassurances and Ongoing Support
School authorities reassured parents that all affected students, including those still receiving medical care, are stable. With continued monitoring and support, the examination resumed for the remaining candidates, albeit at a different location.
The gas leak incident adds to a list of unfortunate events surrounding the 2024 KCSE exams, now in their fourth day. The exams commenced on Monday, marked by a tragedy in Meru where a candidate in Tigania West constituency passed away only hours before his examination.
On the second day, November 6, a candidate at Ebubere Secondary School in Mumias collapsed and died while waiting to take his mathematics paper scheduled for 8:00 a.m.
Reports of major incidents continued throughout the examination period. Among them, several female candidates went into labor during their exams, with three births recorded on day one.
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As of day three, 27 candidates were confirmed to be sitting for their exams in hospitals, facing both pregnancy-related and other medical conditions.
Acknowledging the challenges, the Principal Secretary encouraged parents to provide additional support to their children. He emphasized the need for close parental involvement, noting that the number of hospitalized candidates is slightly higher than during the same period in 2023.
Eight KCSE Candidates Faint, Five Hospitalized as Gas Leak Disrupts Examination at Makande Girls Secondary School
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