Ongoing Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams were disrupted on Monday, November 2, in Moyale, Marsabit County after stray bullets from fighting in neighbouring Ethiopia hit the school and students had to be moved to safer areas.
Students at Sessi Mixed Secondary School and St Mary’s Mixed Secondary School had to be moved after security concerns increased along the Kenya-Ethiopia border.
“We had to move them to ensure they were safe,” said Moyale Deputy County Commissioner Benedict Munywoki.
The incident occurred as KCSE exams got underway nationwide causing concerns for the safety of learners, invigilators and officials involved along the border areas. It was reported that the disturbance caused exam papers to be disrupted and students moved to safer areas. However, the Ministry of Education has not provided much clarity on the situation.
The security scare in Moyale came after security officers attended to three Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPGs) that had landed in the area after being fired from neighbouring Ethiopia.
On Sunday, November 1, explosives were found after reports of unexploded ordnance were reported near Sessi Primary School and Meteorological Department. One RPG was found at the primary school and two landed in the Meteorological Department.
Kenya Defence Forces including bomb disposal experts were sent to the area to identify the objects and secure the area. Explosives were removed and detonated safely. No injuries were reported and security urged residents to stay vigilant and report any suspicious objects.
The discovery of explosives and stray bullets has caused concern among residents and education officials. Tensions have risen between communities in Ethiopia’s Oromia and Somali regional states that border Kenya causing thousands of people to flee into Kenya through Moyale and other crossings due to the fighting.
The United Nations refugee agency said up to 50,000 people had crossed into Kenya, according to Associated Press on October 30. However, they are still being registered.
The fighting has been caused by an ongoing land dispute between the two regional administrations. Fighting escalated in October after a clash occurred over a Somali regional administration office and their flag being raised in a disputed area.
There have been reports of stray bullets in Moyale before. Gunfire has been reported to have hit areas in Kenya including a police station’s football pitch and hotel. Concerns have been raised over the situation with the Kenya Red Cross and other humanitarian organisations providing support to those displaced with food, shelter, medical care and other essentials.
The incident in Moyale shows how difficult it can be to hold national exams in areas of insecurity.
KCSE exams are held using national processes to ensure exam papers are kept secure and students are tested fairly. If there is any disruption to exam papers or students they need to be carefully coordinated between education officials and security.
In Moyale the priority will be to ensure students and examiners are safe and students can complete their exams. Authorities will also need to determine if the disruption has caused any issues with the exam schedule, if any exam papers have been damaged and what extra security measures have been put in place.
While it is unclear how much of an impact this will have on KCSE exams the fact students were moved from the two schools shows how important it is to have a coordinated approach to ensure learners are kept safe.