- KNUT has threatened to boycott supervision, invigilation, and marking of the 2026 national exams unless all pending allowances from the 2025 KCSE and KPSEA are paid.
- Officials blamed verification challenges in KNEC’s CP2 system, saying thousands of teachers remain unpaid despite Treasury allocating Ksh1.5 billion; the Ministry of Education and KNEC assured payments are being finalised.
- KNUT also criticised the SHA insurance scheme, calling for a more reliable medical cover that adequately serves teachers.
The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) has warned that teachers may boycott the supervision, invigilation and marking of the 2026 national examinations unless all pending allowances for the 2025 examination exercise are paid.
The union says thousands of teachers who supervised the 2025 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) and Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) examinations are yet to receive their dues despite the National Treasury allocating Ksh1.5 billion to facilitate the payments.
Speaking in Eldoret, KNUT Rift Valley Chairman John Koech and Keiyo Branch Secretary Anthony Kimurto blamed the delays on verification challenges within the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) Contracted Professionals (CP2) system, saying the prolonged wait had frustrated teachers.
“Thousands of teachers are still waiting for payment for work they completed during the 2025 national examinations. If this matter is not resolved, many of them will be unwilling to participate in the 2026 examination exercise,” said Koech.
Kimurto urged KNEC to clear all outstanding payments before recruiting teachers for this year’s national examinations, warning that educators had lost confidence in the payment process.
“We will not go to the container in Chepkanga. Imagine working from November last year and waiting for payment until now. If they have not paid us for last year’s work, what guarantee do we have that they will pay us after this year’s examinations? They should pay us first,” said Kimurto.
The union officials said teachers had demonstrated patience for months but argued that continued delays undermined morale among those entrusted with administering national examinations.
Government Reassures Teachers on Pending Exam Payments
The warning comes just days after Basic Education Principal Secretary John Ololtuaa assured teachers that the government was finalising payment arrangements for the remaining 2025 KCSE invigilators and supervisors who are yet to receive their allowances.
Ololtuaa said the Ministry of Education was working closely with the National Treasury to ensure all outstanding payments are released.
“The government is committed to paying all eligible teachers. We are working with the National Treasury to finalise the process, and all outstanding dues will be released once the necessary procedures are completed,” the Principal Secretary said.
KNEC also acknowledged the delays, attributing them to the verification of records on its Contracted Professionals (CP2) system.
The council said many examiners and contracted professionals had already begun receiving their allowances in June, while payments for some supervisors and invigilators remained pending because their details were still being verified.
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KNUT warns of looming exam disruption as teachers await unpaid allowances
KNEC urged affected teachers to confirm their information on the CP2 portal to facilitate faster processing of their claims.
“No legitimate claimant will be left out of the payment process. All verified claims will be settled in full once the verification exercise is completed,” the council said.
The examination body further announced a three per cent increase in payment rates for eligible contracted professionals, saying the adjustment was intended to recognise their contribution to the administration of national examinations and assessments.
Meanwhile, KNUT also expressed concern over the teachers’ health insurance scheme, arguing that services under the Social Health Authority (SHA) have not matched the quality of the previous medical cover.
The union called on the government to establish a reliable and comprehensive health insurance scheme that adequately serves teachers and reflects their contribution to the country’s education sector.
By Kimutai Langat
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