Uproar as KCPE students are denied food in Mombasa

Dennis Tarus

November 2, 2016 11:00 AM

Over 8,000 KCPE students were denied free food after sitting for their Mathematics paper following a directive from the Coast Regional Co-ordinator Nelson Marwa.

Marwa had on Monday banned the food normally donated by politicians led by Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho, saying that it “would interfere with examination and corrupt the minds of the candidates.’’

Parents faulted the directive saying that the children were innocent and should not suffer as a result of politics.

“The food which was meant to given to all pupils had brought equality among all children irrespective of the poor (like mine) and the rich,” Said Kombo, a parent said.

Politics

The parents complained that their children were suffering as a result of politics and the supremacy battle between Marwa and Joho in Mombasa County.

One of the food donors, the Shariff Nassir Foundation, whose patron is Mvita MP Abdulswamad Nassir, was shocked after being turned at the schools.

Nassir argued that they had partnered with the Kenya National Examinations Council (Knec) and the Ministry of Education and had been supplying food to pupils sitting examinations for the past eight years.

The Mombasa County Executive Member in charge of education, Lewa Mtana, blamed the national government for the action saying that they had spent Sh6 million on the school feeding food programme.

“I wonder how feeding the children would contribute to cheating in the examinations,” Mtana said.

The food consisted of sandwitches, fruits and the popular coastal dish Pilau.

Dennis Tarus