Teachers Service Commission (TSC) Sub-County Directors (SCDs) have complained to the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) over delayed payment for services rendered during the 2024 national examinations.
The officers, who number around 360 across the country, claim they are each owed approximately KSh 35,000, nearly a year after completing their duties in overseeing the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE), Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA), Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA), and other examinations.
The discontented officials speaking to Education News argue that their role in exam administration is not peripheral but central to the integrity of the country’s education system.
According to official documents, SCDs are tasked with various responsibilities, including identifying and nominating teachers of integrity to serve as Centre Managers, Supervisors, and Invigilators and rotating invigilators weekly to prevent malpractice.
They are also mandated to ensure safe distribution and return of examination materials to KNEC containers; and monitoring the conduct of exams at various centres—often at their own expense, with no facilitation provided.
A KNEC circular dated 2nd September 2025 (Ref: TSC/ADM/192A) reaffirmed these roles, instructing SCDs to vet, nominate, and deploy Heads of Institutions and teachers into the CP2 system for the 2025 examination cycle. The circular also emphasised the need for high integrity, strict deployment rules, and logistical oversight.
For the SCDs, this only highlights the irony of being burdened with responsibility while denied rightful compensation.
“This is a national exercise fully funded by the Exchequer. Why then are we treated as if it were volunteer work?” one Sub County Director asked, capturing the sense of betrayal felt among officers.
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The officers further compared their plight with electoral staff facilitation, noting the stark difference. “During elections, we get over 60k in a single day with meals, transport, and gear provided. Here, after weeks of work, we get nothing,” lamented another SCD.
Many said the official explanation—that senior officers should be “understanding and patient”—rings hollow. “The excuse that we should be understanding and patient is hollow. We are human too, with families and needs to meet,” said one.
Another added, “It is sad that instead of appreciation, we face humiliation. Even courtesy demands an explanation for such a year-long delay.”
The SCDs now want urgent dialogue with the examination body.
They request KNEC Chief Executive Officer (CEO) address their concerns personally.
“Kindly organise an online meeting with the KNEC CEO before exam briefings. We want answers from the horse’s mouth,” one officer urged.
The statement was reinforced by another who insisted, “The buck stops at the KNEC CEO’s desk. Someone must be held accountable for this mess.”
Beyond the immediate issue of unpaid allowances, the officers highlighted broader frustrations that have accumulated over the years. Many complained of stagnation in the same job group for over a decade and a half, despite facilitating promotions for teachers under their watch.
“Our morale is at an all-time low. Many of us have stagnated in one job group for over 15 years while watching teachers we interview for promotions move past us,” one officer revealed.
The SCDs also emphasised that they are required to bear logistical burdens without reimbursement.
“We use our own fuel, data bundles, and family resources to monitor exams. This is unsustainable and unfair,” one lamented.
Another questioned the accountability of KNEC finances: “Does KNEC work without a budget? If the money was released, who misappropriated it?”
The sense of despair was summarised by one officer who said: “We suffer in silence because we have no specific forum to air our grievances. May God open the eyes of those in authority.”
Their demands come at a critical time, just weeks before the 2025 national examinations begin.
According to KNEC’s schedule, the KCSE is set to run from October 21 to November 21, 2025, while other assessments, such as the KJSEA and KPSEA, will take place between October 27and early November.
SCDs warn that unless their grievances are addressed, the morale of officers charged with implementing the exams could be severely compromised.
Education stakeholders caution that the failure to pay officers not only undermines motivation but also threatens the credibility of Kenya’s national examinations.
For a system already under scrutiny for exam integrity, delayed facilitation of field officers could create vulnerabilities.
The SCDs insist that what they are asking for is not luxury but fairness. They demand timely facilitation, accountability, and structured dialogue with KNEC before the next examination cycle.
“We cannot continue working diligently year after year only to be treated as afterthoughts. If KNEC values integrity, then it must honour its obligations to those who safeguard the exams,” one officer summed it up.
By Joseph Mambili
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