Kenya Union of Post primary Teachers has given a two week ultimatum to KNEC to pay examiner or storm the Kenya National Examinations Council Headquarter.
The KUPPET leadership, on Monday, 13th, 2023 said over 50,000 who took part in marking last year’s Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exam are yet to be paid.
Kuppet national chairman Omboko Milemba, speaking to the media, said the Kenya National Examinations Council had no choice but pay the examiners before the two weeks ultimatum comes to an end.
The teachers are alleged to have received Sh55 per script instead of Sh78.
Milemba details that despite immense sacrifice, the teachers have not gotten their much deserving dues months after performing the exercise.
“We have given the examinations council two weeks to settle the bills or face the teachers’ wrath. If the bills are not settled by the end of March, Kuppet will mobilise the examiners to occupy the Knec head office,” Emboko Milemba said at a press release.
It should be recalled that in January, during examiners marking CRE Paper One at St Francis Mang’u Girls High School downed their tools, registering their displeasure over what they termed poor working conditions and low pay.
Milemba, who doubles up as MP for Emuhaya, details that the teachers endured poor conditions, long hours working hours, poor accommodation in students’ dormitories, but their grievances have not been addressed.
The Kuppet CEO points fingers at the government of taking teachers for granted.
Milemba noted that the conditions have not been addressed for so long and that examination marking has become a suffering ritual for some of the country’s best teachers.
“The examiners are often forced to employ different methods of protest before their grievances are addressed,” said Milemba
Milemba detailed that despite the huge sacrifices the examiners made to serve their country in this critical assignment, they have not been paid.
“The assignment came after a heavily-packed school year in which teachers hardly took a break,”
Milemba cited labour laws saying it demand that workers who render their services should be paid according to with work done and on time.
He cast blames on KNECÂ of not honouring its contract with the examiners after they accomplished their duty
He adds that the Knec dues are part of a ballooning pending bills to that the government owes teachers for work done in ‘acting positions’ at all levels of responsibility.
“In fact, teachers have provided the largest service to the government which remains unqualified pending bills,” added Milemba.
