GARISSA: The government has arranged for six helicopters to be on standby to facilitate the distribution of the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations in remote and border areas of the North Eastern region. The initiative aims to ensure the timely and efficient delivery of examination materials to students in far-flung locations.

According to Kenya News Agency, some of the challenging areas in terms of access include Galmagala in Garissa, Diff and Harar in Wajir, and Kotulo and Arabia in Mandera. To address these logistical challenges, each of the three counties-Garissa, Wajir, and Mandera-will have access to two helicopters when needed.

This year, a total of 22,244 students in the North Eastern region are sitting for the KCSE examinations. Of these, 16,919 students are from public schools, while 5,325 are from private schools. Garissa County accounts for 8,677 students, comprising 5,339 boys and 3,338 girls. In Wajir County, 7,355 students are taking the exams, including 4,369 boys an
d 2,986 girls. Mandera County has 6,212 students, with 3,952 boys and 2,260 girls participating.

North Eastern Regional Director for Education Adan Roble indicated that no challenges have been reported so far and expressed optimism that the examination process will proceed smoothly. Garissa County Commissioner Mohamed Mwabudzo assured that the government has implemented necessary security measures during the examination period, and no untoward incidents are anticipated.