KNEC Exam Officials to Be Paid as Treasury Secures Sh27.8 Billion Loan.
The National Treasury has secured a loan of Sh27.8 billion from the Central Bank of Kenya to address pressing financial commitments. A portion of this amount, nearly Sh1 billion, has been allocated to settle payments for the 2024 exam invigilators, supervisors, and centre managers.
The government is also set to disburse Sh15 billion in capitation funds to schools, a move Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba recently assured would happen within the week. Additionally, payments for the teachers’ insurance scheme, MAKL, are scheduled.
Hospitals have gone six months without receiving payments under this scheme, forcing some facilities to either turn away teachers and their dependents or demand cash payments upfront.
Hospitals are currently owed Sh11 billion in unpaid insurance claims, leading to the suspension of medical services for affected teachers.
Meanwhile, the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) has already compensated security officers and senior officials involved in the exam process. Teachers, however, are expected to receive their payments starting in March.
Teachers have voiced frustration over KNEC’s delays in issuing payments long after the examination and assessment results were announced.
This week, Elias Masika, the interim chair of the Invigilators Association of Kenya, formally wrote to KNEC requesting prompt payment for those who supervised and invigilated the 2024 KCSE exams.
In his letter, dated February 16, Masika emphasized the essential role these professionals play in maintaining the integrity of national exams.
He urged KNEC to expedite their payment, stating that immediate action would uphold fairness and preserve trust in the education sector. Delays in previous years saw teachers who invigilated the 2023 exams waiting until the next financial budget before receiving their dues.
CONTRACTED PROFESSIONALS AND COMPENSATION STRUCTURE
Every year, KNEC hires various professionals, including teachers, drivers, and security personnel, to assist in the administration of national exams and assessments.
Teachers serve as Centre Managers, Supervisors, and Invigilators. Notably, KNEC does not provide direct payment for services rendered in these roles but instead reimburses transport costs.
Participation in KNEC invigilation and supervision now carries added significance, as the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) assigns marks to teachers involved in the process.
In the latest promotion exercise, where over 28,000 teachers were considered, TSC awarded four marks to those who had supervised, invigilated, or marked KNEC national exams and assessments.
REVISED RATES FOR EXAM OFFICIALS
Following outcry from secondary school teachers, KNEC revised the rates for contracted professionals, increasing transport reimbursements. The updated daily allowances are as follows:
- KPSEA Supervisors: Sh680 per day for 3 days (Sh2,040 total)
- KPSEA Invigilators: Sh550 per day for 3 days (Sh1,680 total)
- KCSE Supervisors: Sh680 per day for 16 days (Sh10,880 total)
- KCSE Invigilators: Sh550 per day for 16 days (Sh8,800 total)
- Centre Managers: Sh550 per day for both KPSEA and KCSE
These changes were implemented after secondary school teachers demanded increased allowances for officiating the KCSE exams, which commenced on October 22, 2024.
Despite the recent adjustments, teachers, through the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET), continue to push for higher allowances. The union proposed a substantial increase in out-of-workstation allowances, ranging from 750% to 900%.
In a formal request to Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba, KUPPET Secretary-General Akello Misori suggested a revised rate of Sh3,000 per day for invigilators, up from the current Sh400 (a 750% increase).
Read Also: Daily Cost of Educating a Secondary School Student in Kenya; Proposed Fee Adjustments
The union also proposed that supervisors receive Sh3,500 per day instead of Sh450 (a 778% increase) and that principals, who act as examination centre managers, be paid Sh4,500 daily.
Misori highlighted that teachers had resolved to reject the current remuneration structure in the upcoming exams. He urged the Cabinet Secretary to ensure KNEC aligns teachers’ compensation with the Human Resource Policies and Procedures Manual for the Public Service, which serves as the government’s standard benchmark.
KNEC Exam Officials to Be Paid as Treasury Secures Sh27.8 Billion Loan
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