Teachers threatens national exams boycott over low pay

Teachers across the country have threatened to boycott the management of this year’s national examinations unless the Kenya National Examinations Council (Knec) improves payments and working conditions for teachers engaged in administering the tests.

Through their lobby group, Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet), the teachers said they would paralyse examination management throughout 2026 if Knec fails to provide clear guidelines on the terms and conditions of service for examination personnel.

They accused the council of exploiting teachers despite repeated attempts to engage it on the matter.

Kuppet Secretary-General Akelo Misori said the union’s National Governing Council (NGC), which met in Nairobi on Friday, had directed the National Executive Board to prepare members for the boycott in the absence of satisfactory assurances from the examinations body.

“We are asking our members to sit back and not to participate in any exams conducted by the Kenya National Examination Council,” said Mr Misori.

“And if they don’t give any assurances to improve the examiners’ terms and conditions of service, today we put KNEC on notice and it will not be business as usual in the year 2026. We shall ensure that we paralyse the examination management in the entire year 2026.”

The union said teachers were being subjected to remuneration that fails to reflect their professional qualifications, experience and the responsibility they shoulder in overseeing national examinations that determine the future of millions of learners.

Misori questioned why professionals entrusted with managing examinations  that shape the careers of future engineers, lawyers and teachers should earn less than some unskilled workers.

He cited the payment of Sh500 to a school principal for managing an examination centre during the examination period, describing it as inadequate given the responsibilities involved.

“Even construction workers on site who are unskilled are paid at least Sh700 by the end of the day. But you realise that KNEC treats professionals as if they are such a category of workers," he said.

The lobby group also protested the rates paid to examiners, saying teachers marking subjects such as English and Physics earn less than Sh80 per script.

Misori termed the rates a mockery of the teaching profession, warning that teachers would no longer accept the same terms and subsequently complain about delayed payments and inadequate compensation.

He further criticised the conditions at examination marking centres, citing inadequate accommodation and poor facilities for teachers expected to work for extended periods.

“A professional who has taught Physics for 20 years and you subject that professional to such kind of working environment, I think we don’t have an examination management authority like KNEC elsewhere in the world,” he said.

KUPPET chairman Omboko Milemba said the union has written to KNEC asking for a meeting to resolve the issues.

"We have written to them so that we can talk and settle this matter, failure to which we will ask our members to stay away from administering the exams," Milemba said.

Beyond the proposed examinations boycott, the union called for the implementation of promised teacher promotions, confirmation of intern teachers and an end to the continued employment of teachers on contract terms.

KUPPET acknowledged President William Ruto’s announcement that the number of teachers to be promoted had been increased from 30,000 to 50,000.

However, the union tasked its National Executive Board with engaging Parliament’s Education Committee to ensure that the promised Sh1 billion is made available to facilitate the promotions.

The board was also directed to pursue the immediate confirmation of 20,000 intern teachers, whose budget has reportedly been remitted to the Teachers Service Commission (TSC).

KUPPET maintained that the continued hiring of teachers on contract terms violates orders issued by the Employment and Labour Relations Court, calling for action to regularise their employment.

The union also raised concerns about gaps in healthcare services provided through the Social Health Authority (SHA), despite what it described as efforts to improve access for teachers.

Misori said some regions continued to experience service disruptions, particularly on Mondays and Fridays, leaving teachers unable to access healthcare when needed.

The union further demanded the implementation of an agreement under which 20 per cent of houses constructed through the affordable housing programme were to be allocated to teachers.

Misori said President Ruto presided over the agreement between the union and SHA on September 13 last year, but implementation had been slow. The National Executive Board was directed to follow up to ensure teachers benefit from the housing scheme.

On career progression, KUPPET called for proper public participation in the proposed Career Progression Guidelines for teachers.

The union said the TSC had already presented its proposals to the Salaries and Remuneration Commission, but public participation and validation were necessary to ensure the guidelines were implemented through a legitimate and consultative process.

The union also expressed concern about increasing workloads following the implementation of the Competency-Based Education (CBE) system.

While acknowledging the recruitment of nearly 100,000 teachers on permanent and pensionable terms over the past three years, KUPPET said the staffing gap remained significant, particularly in secondary schools.

Misori put the teacher deficit in secondary schools at 160,000, arguing that more recruitment was needed beyond the 20,000 intern teachers whose funding had been provided to the TSC.

He said the union would have wanted Parliament to allocate additional resources through a supplementary budget to address the shortage and ease pressure on teachers.

The NGC also endorsed the National Executive Board’s recommendations on five pieces of legislation currently before Parliament, urging lawmakers to expedite their consideration to avoid prolonged uncertainty over education policy and the proposed new education law.

KUPPET said the outstanding issues, if left unresolved, would continue to undermine teachers’ welfare and the effective administration of education, warning that its members were prepared to take action if their demands were ignored.