Two Form Four candidates of Sironga Girls High School in Nyamira County have been missing for a week, just days before they were set to sit for their national examinations.
The disappearance of Asenath Anyango and Herlihy Atieno has left parents and authorities in confusion, with more questions than answers.
According to reports, the two girls went missing on Wednesday last week, but the school only reported the incident to the police three days later.
Noel Indasi, the mother of one of the missing students, expressed her disappointment with the school’s handling of the matter despite having several security guards on duty.
“On Saturday morning, the deputy principal called me and informed me that my daughter was missing from school,” she said.
Indasi revealed that the school had previously summoned her after her daughter was found in possession of a mobile phone.
Sources within the institution claim that some staff members allegedly collude with students, even helping them charge phones secretly for a fee.
The last phone conversation between one of the missing girls and her parent was reportedly made using the school watchman’s phone.
According to an NTV Kenya hidden camera investigation, a teacher suggested that the girls had confirmed they were being held at a location near the Kenya–Tanzania border.
The school administration has declined to issue an official statement, but police in Nyamira have confirmed receiving the report and said investigations are underway.
This year ,the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) registered 996,078 candidates to sit for this year’s Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams.
In a bid to curb examination malpractice, KNEC CEO David Njengere noted that the Ministry of Education has set up 25 additional exam storage containers compared to last year, enhancing the security and distribution of examination materials.
He assured the public that both KNEC and the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) have vetted and selected teachers of high integrity to serve as invigilators and supervisors, a move aimed at maintaining the credibility of the national exams.
In an effort to ensure a safe and secure examination environment, the government has deployed at least two police officers to every KCSE examination centre across the country.