Kenyan Teachers Threaten to Disrupt National Exams Due to Unpaid Dues

The Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) has issued a warning that teachers will boycott the supervision and marking of national examinations at the end of the year if they are not paid for the services rendered in last year’s tests. 

The national examinations, scheduled for October and November, will be disrupted by the teachers if their dues are not paid. The Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) for Grade Six learners will also be affected. Knut Secretary-General, Collins Oyuu, said on Saturday that teachers who supervised, invigilated and marked the 2022 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) and Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations have not yet been paid. 

Oyuu advised affected teachers not to participate in a similar exercise this year if their grievances are not resolved. Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu announced two weeks ago that the teachers and other contracted people involved in the administration of the examinations would be paid by the end of July. On Wednesday last week, Dr Belio Kipsang, the Principal Secretary for Basic Education, confirmed that the ministry has received Sh2 billion from the National Treasury to pay exam officials. 

Due to financial limitations, government officials have decided to increase funding for national exams despite a growing number of candidates each year. The KCPE and KPSEA exams will take place from October 30 to November 2, while the KCSE will run from November 3 to 24, with marking taking place from November 27 to December 15. These issues were discussed by Mr Oyuu during the Knut's Suba branch's annual general meeting in Homa Bay County, where he urged the government to address other concerns such as increasing school funding and reviewing career progression guidelines. 

Mr Oyuu also expressed concern over teachers being unfairly dismissed and denied retirement benefits, suggesting that compensation should be based on the number of years they served. The union also called for intervention to address the payment of Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) teachers employed by county governments. Additionally, the union wants headteachers who oversee both primary and junior secondary schools to have their salaries reevaluated since these schools are often located on the same premises and managed by the same person.