A 38-year-old woman in Jomvu, Mombasa County, Kenya, has been arrested for allegedly locking her daughter inside a room to prevent her from sitting a national examination because her assessment number contained the digits 666.
The incident occurred on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, during the second day of the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA). The mother reportedly believed that the number contradicted her religious convictions and could expose her child to spiritual danger.
According to reports, the woman maintained that allowing her daughter to participate in the examination with the assigned number was unacceptable because she considered it forbidden in the Bible.
School authorities became aware of the situation when the girl, who attends a private school in Jomvu, failed to appear for the second day of the assessment. Her absence prompted the headteacher, Bakari Mwerephe, to alert education officials and security agencies.
A team of police officers and other government officials later visited the family’s residence to investigate.
The operation was led by Jomvu Sub-County Police Commander Selina Chirchir, who said the authorities received information that a child had been confined and prevented from taking her examination.
Upon arriving at the residence, officers reportedly discovered that the girl had been locked inside a room. They eventually broke down the door to gain access to her, despite the mother’s objections.
The child was rescued and escorted to school, where officials made arrangements for her to continue the assessment. She was also granted extra time to complete the examination.
The mother was taken into police custody as investigations into the incident commenced.
Authorities are examining the circumstances surrounding the alleged confinement, including whether the child was subjected to mistreatment and the extent to which the mother’s religious beliefs influenced her actions.
A relative of the woman reportedly called for further investigation, alleging that she had previously refused to take her children to hospital when they became ill and often avoided interaction with neighbours. These allegations have not been independently verified.
The incident has also drawn attention to the need to safeguard children from actions that could interfere with their education, welfare and access to essential services.
The Kenya Primary School Education Assessment is administered by the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) for Grade 6 pupils. The 2026 assessment is scheduled to run from October 26 to 28.
According to reports, a record 1,380,463 candidates are participating in this year’s assessment. The examination index numbers are assigned through the official examination system rather than selected by parents or individual schools.
As of the time of the report, police had not announced the specific charges the woman might face.
The investigation is expected to establish the full circumstances of the incident and determine what further action should be taken.
