The Chairman of the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET), Hon. Omboko Milembe, has formally petitioned Parliament to address the persistent examiner payment delay affecting teachers and other professionals engaged in the administration of national examinations.
The request was directed to the National Assembly’s Departmental Committee on Education, chaired by Hon. Julius Melly, seeking a comprehensive statement on why thousands of teachers who delivered the 2025 national examinations are yet to receive their dues amid the ongoing examiner payment delay.
In October 2025, the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) engaged nearly 45,000 teachers to facilitate the marking and management of key national examinations.
These included the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE), the Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA), and the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA).
The professionals served in various capacities — examiners, supervisors, invigilators, centre managers, and marking centre coordinators — working long hours under strict security protocols to safeguard the credibility and integrity of the national assessment process.
Despite fulfilling this critical national duty, months have passed without payment, intensifying concern over the examiner payment delay.
Reports indicate that over 2.7 billion shillings remain outstanding, leaving many educators financially strained.
Hon. Milembe termed the delay “unacceptable and demoralising,” noting that the recurring examiner payment delay undermines morale within the teaching fraternity and erodes confidence in institutional accountability.
He emphasised that examination marking is not voluntary service but contractual professional work that demands timely remuneration. The union argues that teachers often incur personal expenses during marking sessions, including travel and upkeep costs, and expect reimbursement within reasonable timelines.
“Teachers cannot continue to shoulder national responsibilities at personal financial risk,” the union leadership observed, urging Parliament to compel relevant authorities to explain the delay and provide a clear payment schedule to resolve the examiner payment delay.
Parliamentary Oversight on Examiner Payment Delay
The Departmental Committee on Education, under Hon. Melly’s leadership, has been requested to table a report before the House clarifying:
✓The reasons behind the delayed disbursement of funds
✓The total amount owed to examiners and related professionals
✓The specific timeline for settlement
✓Measures being put in place to prevent recurrence.
Examiners across the country are now awaiting a substantive response from the committee later this week. The outcome is expected to set a precedent on how contractual educational services are handled in the future.
The payment delay has broader implications for Kenya’s education system.
National examinations form the backbone of academic progression and certification. Their credibility depends not only on secure administration but also on teachers’ goodwill, professionalism, and motivation.
Persistent financial delays risk diminishing teacher participation in future examination exercises, potentially affecting operational efficiency.
Stakeholders argue that predictable and timely compensation is essential for sustaining examiner commitment and maintaining high standards of assessment integrity.
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As Parliament deliberates on the matter, the teaching fraternity remains hopeful that institutional accountability will prevail and that teachers’ professional contributions will be duly recognised through prompt payment.
By Wesley Chelule
Wesley Chelule writes from Nakuru with a keen interest in union governance and educational leadership.
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