Unions demand teachers’ exam pay from Knec

The Kenya National Examinations Council (Knec) is verifying details of teachers who took part in supervising last year's national exam before releasing their wages, as unions intensify calls for payment.

Knec's acting chief executive Mercy Karogo said some teachers had been paid and others will receive their dues this week.

“We received data from the field and we have to verify before doing the payment to avoid cases where wrong people are paid," Ms Karogo said.

Teacher’s union leaders Thursday demanded the immediate payment of professionals contracted during the administration of national examinations in November 2016.

Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) and the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) asked the Knec to release the payment without further delay.

Omboko Milemba, Kuppet chairman, said the more than 20,000 teachers who participated as invigilators and centre organisers during marking and examination supervision have not been paid.

“This is despite your office having promised to pay the same monies at the end of December 2016, a promise you did also make during our joint Kuppet/Knut and Knec meeting on October 6 in your boardroom,” Mr Milemba wrote to Ms Karogo on January 23.

He said the teachers wanted to pay school fees for their children, saying that the government already disbursed the funds.

“Whereas we appreciate what the ministry (of Education) and Knec did insofar as making the exams leakage-free, we have information that the money to pay examiners was extravagantly used in flying Knec and ministry officials around the country,” he added.

Mr Milemba said reforms in the Ministry of Education, Knec included, must be expanded to the welfare of the examiners, who are key in the setting, invigilation and marking of tests.

Knut Deputy Secretary-General Hesbone Otieno said it was unfair for Knec to delay the payment.