The National Treasury has borrowed sh 27.8 billion from the Central Bank of Kenya amid government pressure to meet its financial obligation.
Sources have revealed that an amount close to sh 1 billion will be used to pay the 2024 exam invigilators, supervisors and centre managers.
The government also eyes to pay sh 15 billion capitation funds to schools. Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba had assured schools that the government will release the amount this week.
Also lined up for payment is the teachers insurance scheme, MAKL. For six months, hospitals have gone without payments for teacher’s health insurance, forcing some facilities to turn away patients or demand cash up front.
Hospitals are owed Sh11 billion, accrued over the past six months. Some hospitals have closed medical services to teachers and their dependants.
Knec has already paid security officers and some senior officers who oversaw the exams. Teachers are likely to start receiving their payment in March.
Teachers have expressed frustrations and anger over Knec delay in making payment long after the exam and assessment results were released.
This week Mr. Elias Masika, the interim chair for the Invigilators Association of Kenya, wrote to the Council requesting immediate payment of KCSE 2024 invigilators and supervisors.
“Given the critical role playes by these professionals in ensuring the credibility of national examinations, I urge KNEC to expedite their payment without further delay. Immediate action will not only uphold justice but also maintain trust in the education sector,” said Masika in the letter dated 16th February.
Last year, teachers who had invigilated the 2023 exams and assessments had to wait till the next financial budget when Knec started to make payment.
Each year Knec contracts professionals to help in administration of national exams and assessments.
Contacted Professionals include teachers, drivers and security personnel. Teachers are contracted as Centre Managers, Supervisors and Invigilators.
Knec does not pay for services rendered by Centre Managers, Supervisors and Invigilators but pays for transport reimbursement.
Knec invigilation and supervision is now a key role as TSC awards marks to teachers who participate in the exercise.
In this years promotion of over 28,000 teachers, TSC awarded 4 marks to teachers who invigilated, supervised and marked Knec national exams and assessments.
For last years administration of national exams and assessments teachers will receive slightly different pay.
Knec revised upward the amount it pays its contracted professionals after protests from secondary school teachers.
Each invigilator and centre manager will get sh 550 per day as transport reimbursement while each supervisor will get sh 680 per day.
KPSEA SUPERVISORS
sh 680 per day for 3 days equals sh 2,040
KPSEA INVIGILATORS
sh 550 per day for 3 days equals sh 1,680
KCSE SUPERVISORS
sh 680 per day for 16 days equals sh 10,880
KCSE INVIGILATORS
sh 550 per day for 16 days equals sh 8,800
CENTRE MANAGERS
sh 550 per day for both KPSEA and KCSE
The changes followed after demands from secondary school teachers for increased allowances to officiate the KCSE examinations, which begun on October 22, 2024.
Through the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet), the teachers asked for their out-of-workstation allowances to be raised by between 750 and 900 per cent.
In a letter to Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba, Kuppet Secretary-General Akello Misori proposed a new rate of Sh3,000 per day for invigilators, up from Sh400 per day (a 750 per cent rise).
The union wanted supervisors to be paid 3,500 per day from the Sh450 they are used to get (a 778 per cent rise) and Sh4,500 for principals, who also act as examination centre managers during the examination period.
“Our members have vowed to reject the current remuneration structure during the upcoming examinations. As the Cabinet secretary in charge of the Kenya National Examination’s Council (Knec) budget, we urge you to facilitate the council in compensating teachers as provided under the Human Resource Policies and Procedures Manual for the Public Service, which is the applicable benchmark across the government,” said Mr Misori in the letter.
