By Oanga Oyugi
64 candidates who have registered for the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education National Examination (KCSE) from Emenwa Mixed Secondary School in Sameta Sub-county, Kisii County have gone missing. The school Principal Ibrahim Gekonde has confirmed.
The principal has appealed to the National Government through local administration to assist in tracing the students who are of both sexes after they failed to report when schools opened for second term. The school management has also been reaching out to the parents to trace the students but all have been in vain.
Speaking in his office, Gekonde revealed that the number of missing students was higher but after frantic efforts were made, police arrested fifteen boys who were hiding in a house pretending to be studying while four were found at Igare Market where they had been employed as bakers and two others in Nyamache market.
Efforts to get a comment from the area Chief Henry Ngang’au were fruitless as he could not be found via phone calls.
“They are now in class and doing well,” said the principal who added that the lunch programme has enabled students to reduce their absenteeism from school where they had indulged in Boda-boda ventures and supplu of illicit brews.
The school which has a population of 1,028 students with 22 teachers recorded a mean standard score of 5.5 during last year’s KCSE. The total number of registered candidates this year is 264.
The Principal called for more infrastructural facilities and an addition of 20 teachers to the institution. They have so far constructed a dormitory for girls and a borehole which are almost complete.
