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A Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (JSEA) examiner collapsed and died on Monday morning while participating in the national marking exercise at a designated centre in Machakos County.
The examiner, identified as Nicodemus Mutuku, passed away at Machakos Girls High School, where hundreds of teachers have been marking the recently concluded junior school national examinations since November 7.
His death was formally confirmed by the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) Chief Executive Officer David Njengere, who issued a statement detailing the circumstances surrounding the incident.
According to Njengere, Mutuku had been actively involved in the coordination and marking of the Creative Arts and Sports paper, where he served as a team leader.
Witnesses reported that he had been working normally before suddenly collapsing.
KNEC stated that emergency efforts were made to assist him, but he was pronounced dead shortly afterward.
Mutuku was among the experienced examiners taking part in the month-long national marking exercise, which brings together thousands of teachers from across the country.
His death has cast a shadow over the process, especially given the demanding nature of national examination marking periods, which often involve long hours and intense workloads.
According to the council, Mutuku had built a distinguished career in exam assessment spanning several years. Before the full rollout of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), he had served under the former Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) assessment system.
His experience and familiarity with national evaluation processes made him one of the valued senior team leaders in the JSEA framework.
At the time of his passing, Mutuku was a teacher at Nduluni Junior School in Makindu, Makueni County.
Njengere eulogized him as a dedicated and highly reliable professional whose service had significantly strengthened Kenya’s assessment systems.
He noted that Mutuku’s commitment to upholding the integrity of national examinations had earned him respect within KNEC and among his fellow examiners.
“His contribution over the years has been immense. We have lost a dependable officer who performed his duties with diligence and consistency,” the statement read in part.
KNEC also conveyed condolences to the family, colleagues, and the entire education fraternity, describing the loss as a major blow during a critical phase of the national assessment calendar.
