Kenya’s 2026 national examinations are facing the threat of disruptions after the teachers’ unions warned they will withdraw members from invigilation, supervision and marking duties unless the government clears about Sh1.5 billion still owed for last year’s exam exercise.
The Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) and the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) say thousands of teachers who supervised the 2025 KCSE, KPSEA and KJSEA examinations have gone unpaid for the better part of a year, despite repeated government assurances.
Only teachers who worked as examiners, marking scripts, have been paid so far while invigilators, supervisors and centre managers are still waiting.
During the June 11 Budget Speech, Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi told Parliament the outstanding Sh1.5 billion would be released before the 2025/26 financial year closed on June 30. That deadline passed without payment.
A senior Kenya National Examinations Council (Knec) official, speaking anonymously, said the council could not pay out money it had not itself received from Treasury: “If we had received the money from Tuesday, we would have paid.”
Budget documents show Knec had asked for Sh12.7 billion to run this year’s exam but was allocated only Sh5.9 billion, with over Sh1 billion of that swallowed up by clearing the previous cycle’s arrears. An extra Sh3.1 billion was later released through supplementary estimates, still leaving a shortfall of around Sh4.76 billion.
CS Julius Migos Ogamba announced in early July that Knec had disbursed the balance of marking allowances. Unions say that claim doesn’t reflect reality on the ground.
“From last year, teachers invigilated and supervised exams, all the national exams, and up to now they have not been paid. And we are indeed perplexed when we hear CS Mbadi saying that he released that money, Sh1.5 billion, to pay teachers, and it has not reached teachers,” Knut said.
The confusion deepened further after Knec received a fresh Sh9.9 billion allocation, which it says is earmarked strictly for the 2026 exam cycle, leaving the 2025 arrears untouched.
Basic Education Principal Secretary John Ololtuaa has said the ministry is working with the Treasury to finalise payments for the remaining teachers through Knec’s Contracted Professionals system.
For teachers, the explanations offer little comfort. Ogoro Miruka, who supervised at Langata West Primary School for 12 days at Sh500 a day, said: “To date, not a coin has been received despite the numerous promises from the government, the latest being that we would be paid by June 30.”
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Another teacher speaking anonymously, said the delay has damaged goodwill built over years: “In previous years, we were paid soon after results were released by the Minister for Education but this time no teacher has been paid despite repeated promises.”
Kuppet deputy secretary-general Moses Nthurima linked the delay to a deeper problem in how the sector is financed: “The government is commercialising and privatising education and that is why it is not servicing a critical function like this.” Knut deputy secretary-general Hesbon Otieno Agola said the union had sought direct assurances from Mbadi before the budget reading, and that the delay remains unwelcome.
Branch officials have gone further. Knut Nairobi executive secretary Mugwe Macharia said members are demanding action. “The Treasury CS has continued giving empty promises, yet we are not interested in political statements. Teachers want action, which is payment of their dues.”
In Eldoret, Rift Valley Knut chairman John Koech told members: “We will not investigate the examinations because imagine you work without pay from last year October to date. They owe us and they should pay.” Speaking at a funeral in Gatero village, a union official put it plainly: “We want money for supervision and invigilation for the 2025 examinations. If that doesn’t happen, don’t expect any teacher to participate in any invigilation or supervision during the 2026 examinations.”
Kuppet Secretary General Akello Misori said the delays have left thousands of teachers frustrated, many of whom spend weeks away from their families under difficult conditions during exam duty. Knut secretary-general Collins Oyuu has separately warned of a nationwide boycott, insisting teachers will no longer offer their services to Knec without compensation.
The standoff underlines a wider funding gap in how Kenya finances its exam system. With tens of thousands of teachers needed as supervisors, invigilators, centre managers and examiners, a mass withdrawal could leave Knec scrambling for replacement personnel as the October-November exam season nears.
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