Examination officers to reap big during 18-day exercise

Government officers are all set to make a killing in allowances in the next 18 days as the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations kick off Monday.

The payment will be drawn from their respective ministries and agencies, besides more than Sh4.2 billion that has been set aside by the Kenya National Examinations Council (Knec) for payment of its field officers and those who will be involved in marking.

Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha has indicated that the government will once again deliver as one in administration of the national examinations in line with President Uhuru Kenyatta’s directive.

ALLOWANCES

During the just-concluded Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examinations, Deputy President William Ruto led the entire Cabinet to help in the 2019 monitoring.

“I welcome and encourage them to extend the spirit of monitoring the KCPE to the KCSE, which starts on Monday,” said Prof Magoha.

Cabinet Secretaries, Chief Administrative Secretaries, Principal Secretaries, heads of parastatals will participate in the exercise and will be accompanied by three to five staff who will be entitled to daily subsistence allowances.

The officers will be expected to be up by 5am in order to make it to examinations centres where they have been assigned.

According to Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) rates, those who will monitor the exams in areas such as Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Malindi, Kilifi, Lamu, Kwale and Naivasha will be entitled to daily allowances of between Sh6,300 and Sh18,200.

SECURITY OFFICERS

Those in Nyeri, Eldoret, Kericho, Kakamega, Kisii, Embu, Nanyuki, Nakuru, Lodwar and Garissa will be paid between Sh4,900 and Sh12,600 while those in all other towns will get between Sh4,200 and Sh10,500.

A total of 1,437 deputy county commissioners, sub-county Directors of Education from the Ministry of Education and the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) will also be involved.

“We will also engage 1,916 security officers, 339 sub-county examination officers, 339 TSC officers, 339 clerks and 339 data capturers in the exams administration,” said Knec acting chief executive officer Dr Mercy Karogo.

At the same time, teachers and security personnel who will be involved in administration of the national examinations will make close to Sh3 billion out of the Sh4billion budgeted for the exercise.

Close to Sh1 billion will be used to pay 264,446 field officers, who include centre managers, supervisors, invigilators, security agents and drivers while Sh2 billion will go to markers.

The rest is expected to be used for other logistical needs such as hiring choppers and fuelling vehicles as well as paying allowances to various government officers involved in monitoring the examinations.

400 MONITORS

A total of 400 monitors will be paid Sh2,000 per day while Sh1,000 will be provided for mobile phone airtime.

The monitors will also be provided with funds to hire security officers in regions that have been identified to have incidence of insecurity.

KCSE supervisors will pocket up to Sh12, 500 for three weeks' work while primary school headteachers will be paid Sh500 per day.

A total of 70,790 personnel will be used during the field administration of KCSE examinations while 173,945 personnel were used during the field administration of the KCPE examination, which ended last week.

For the KCPE examination administration period, supervisors will earn Sh2,485 while invigilators will take home Sh1, 615. Security officers will be paid 1,050 and drivers Sh1,040.

CENTRE MANAGERS

Secondary school principals will take home a flat rate of Sh500 for 18 days, translating to Sh9,000.

Security officers in KCSE administration will earn Sh420 per day for 16 days, translating to about Sh6,720 while drivers will earn Sh6,480 for the period.

Principals who are centre managers will take home a total of Sh90.7 million while supervision will cost more than Sh118.6 million.

Security will take Sh144 million while drivers will consume Sh36.7 million. In total, payment to field officers for KCSE examinations will be Sh705 million. The three-day KCPE examination will cost more than Sh237.2 million.