The Kenya National Examinations Council (Knec) has come out to explain why Contracted Professionals have not been paid.
Teachers have expressed frustrations and anger over Knec delay in making payment long after the exam and assessment results were released.
However a Knec official who commented on anonymity has revealed the reasons behind the payment delays.
He said the Council has insufficient and scanty details for teachers who invigilated and supervised the 2024 KPSEA and KCSE exams that is affecting the payment process.
Also see: Knec contracted professionals portal (http://cp2.knec.ac.ke
The official was responding to a message that was sent by Knec to a number of KPSEA centre managers whose teachers details were missing for processing of Knec payment.
“Dear Centre Manager, KNEC is yet to receive DULY SIGNED AND STAMPED attendance register for the 2024 KPSEA assessment. This is to kindly request that you send a scanned copy to [email protected] to facilitate processing of allowances of the contracted professionals who were attached to your centres,” read a SMS sent to centre managers with missing details.
He however downplayed the recent revelation that government is cash strapped and has no money to pay the teachers till next financial budget.
Last year, teachers who had invigilated the 2023 exams and assessments had to wait till the next 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 important 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.
In 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.
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.
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