A gas leak incident on Thursday morning at Makande Girls Secondary School in Mombasa led to the collapse of eight Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) candidates.
Following the incident, five of the affected students were admitted to Makadara General Hospital for treatment.
According to a live report by Citizen TV, the gas leak temporarily disrupted the Kiswahili examination the students were taking, as fumes spread throughout a significant area of the examination center.
Law enforcement is investigating the source of the leak, with initial suspicions pointing toward nearby businesses, which reportedly dispose of their waste near the school’s boundary.
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Makande Girls Secondary School has approximately 90 candidates registered for this year’s KCSE exams. Of these, 84 students were able to resume their Kiswahili examination after being relocated to Makande Boys Secondary School.
The remaining five students, currently hospitalized, are expected to be discharged in the afternoon, allowing them to sit for their examination later in the day.
School officials have assured parents that all students are in stable condition and have been moved from the affected area. The gas concentration has since been contained as investigations continue.
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This gas leak incident is one of several challenges impacting this year’s KCSE examinations, which entered their fourth day today. The exams began on Monday with a tragic report of a male candidate in Tigania West, Meru, who passed away just hours before his first exam.
On Tuesday, another candidate at Ebubere Secondary School in Mumias collapsed and died while waiting to sit for his mathematics paper.
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Other incidents have also been reported, including cases of pregnant candidates giving birth while sitting for exams. By day three, 27 candidates were confirmed to be taking their exams in hospitals for various medical reasons, highlighting the unique challenges many students face this year.
