Nairobi — A female Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) female student and a woman she had hired to sit the ongoing national examinations was on Monday arrested in Huruma, Nairobi.

According to police, both of them are expected to face various charges.

"The police officers arrested the imposter Mercy Wairimu and Doreen Gakii the candidate. The scene was visited by DCC Mathare Sub County, Sub County education officer, and Starehe DCI officers," the police report stated. "The arrested have been escorted by DCIO officers to Ruaraka police station awaiting charges."

Elsewhere, two KCPE candidates are sitting for their examination at Migori County Referral Hospital Maternity wing after giving birth on the big day.

The incidents occurred even as President William Ruto assured all candidates that exercise will be held in an orderly and transparent manner.

The examinations will mark the end of the 8-4-4 education system in primary schools that has been in place since 1985.

There are 1,282,574 candidates set to sit the KPSEA assessments. As last year, the assessment will be done to monitor learner achievement and not the placement of candidates.

Unlike in KCPE exams where candidates are rated out of 100 percent, KPSEA only accounts for 40 percent of the final score.

The other 60 percent comes from classroom-based continuous assessment tests conducted in Grades 4, 5, and 6.

Candidates set to sit KCPE exams this year are 1,415, 315. The candidature for KCPE recorded a significant increase of 13.74 percent (170,982 candidates) in 2023 when compared to 2022.