The Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET), Bomet Branch, is demanding urgent talks with the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) over teachers' allowances ahead of the 2026 national examinations.
The union has warned that its members could boycott examination invigilation, supervision and marking if the council fails to address their concerns over delayed payments and what it terms inadequate remuneration.
Speaking in Bomet town, branch executive secretary Paul Kimetto said the union had several outstanding issues to resolve before teachers could participate in administering the examinations. He said payment of all outstanding allowances was a priority, noting that some teachers had not received their dues from previous examination assignments.
"Some teachers have not been paid for work they did during previous examinations. This has left our members demoralised, and we want KNEC to address the issue before engaging teachers in this year's examinations," Kimetto said.
He called on the council to meet with the union, warning that failure to do so could trigger a complete boycott of examination duties by its members.
"We want KNEC to sit down with us and address these issues. Our members cannot continue working without receiving their allowances in full and on time," he said.
Kimetto also called for an upward review of examination allowances, arguing that the current rates had remained low despite the demanding nature of the work involved.
His remarks come amid a nationwide standoff between KUPPET and KNEC over the remuneration of teachers who administer and mark national examinations. The union has also sought the intervention of the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC), urging it to review the compensation framework before the dispute escalates further.
KUPPET national chairman Omboko Milemba said teachers would not undertake examination-related duties until the union's leadership reached an agreement with KNEC on their remuneration.
"We are telling our teachers across the country not to engage with or do any work offered by the Kenya National Examination Council until that time they will sit down with us leaders for us to agree on the payment for examiners," Milemba said.
Under the current payment structure, following a review in 2024, KCSE supervisors earn between Sh630 and Sh680, centre managers receive between Sh500 and Sh550, while invigilators earn between Sh430 and Sh510. Daily allowances for examiners stand at Sh150, while payments for marking individual scripts generally range from Sh35 to Sh75.
The union is demanding a minimum flat rate of Sh4,000 per day for supervisors and related examination officials, alongside at least Sh100 for marking each paper. Teachers have also raised concerns about accommodation at marking centres, with the union claiming that some examiners are forced to sleep on thin mattresses in overcrowded dormitories.
The dispute comes as KNEC prepares to administer the 2026 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations alongside assessments for primary and junior school learners. According to the timetable, KCSE rehearsals are scheduled for Friday, October 16, with oral and practical examinations beginning on October 19. Written examinations will run from Monday, November 2, to Friday, November 20.
The Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) and Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA) will also take place during the same season, placing additional demands on personnel involved in the exercise. KNEC is expected to coordinate examinations and assessments for about 3.6 million candidates across the three education levels.
With the examination period approaching, the standoff has put pressure on the council and the SRC to engage the union and find a solution before the first papers are administered. Unless the parties reach an agreement, the threatened boycott could disrupt the deployment of teachers required to supervise and manage examinations, as well as mark candidates' scripts.
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