A Mombasa mother was detained at Jomvu Police Station after she allegedly prevented her Grade 6 daughter from sitting the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) examination, insisting that the number 666 printed on the child’s assessment paper was the mark of the devil.
The incident came to light when the pupil, who had attended the first day of exams without incident, failed to report to school for the second paper.
Headteacher caught off guard by the complaint
Administrative and police officers were dispatched to the family’s home, where they reportedly found the mother unyielding, refusing to let the child leave even as officers attempted to intervene.
Headteacher Bakari Chiboya told reporters he received a phone call from the woman, who demanded to know why her daughter had been assigned what she described as a satanic number.
Chiboya, who heads the school where the child is enrolled, was caught off guard by the complaint and the events that followed.
Mombasa woman receives divine revelation over 666
According to police, the woman claimed to have received a divine revelation that the number was unsuitable for her child and that she had acted on those spiritual convictions by locking the learner inside their home.
Officers say the mother remained adamant throughout the rescue operation, maintaining her position even as authorities escorted the child away.
Despite her insistence that she had not been aware she was doing anything wrong, police confirmed they would pursue action against her.
Woman’s cousin speaks
A relative identified as Juliet Nea, described as the mother’s cousin, suggested the incident was not entirely out of character.
She told reporters the woman had previously refused to take her children to hospital when they fell ill, pointing to a broader pattern of decisions shaped by deeply held religious beliefs.
The pupil eventually sat the second day of the examination after being assisted by officers.
