Boycott threat comes as KCSE rehearsals set for Friday, October 16, followed by oral and practical papers from October 19.Uncertainty is hanging over the administration of the 2026 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations as the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) maintains its threat to boycott the exercise over low pay.
The Kenya National Examinations Council (Knec) timetable shows that rehearsals will be held on Friday, October 16, followed by oral and practical papers from October 19.
These will overlap with the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) and Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA), whose rehearsals are scheduled for Friday, October 23, ahead of the written papers starting on Monday, October 26.
KCSE candidates will sit their written papers from Monday, November 2, to Friday, November 20, 2026.
Amid the packed examination season, Kuppet has directed its members to boycott all Knec assignments, citing poor pay for teachers involved in examination administration and marking.
Kuppet secretary general Akelo Misori has described the current payments as “slavery wages” and directed union members not to participate in the examinations until the rates are reviewed.
“We are asking our members to sit back and not participate in any exam conducted by the Kenya National Examination Council,” Misori said.
The directive comes as Knec prepares to administer national examinations and assessments to a record 3.6 million candidates across the three education levels within strict timelines.
Kuppet wants the allowances reviewed to reflect teachers’ professional status, workload, demanding responsibilities and the time spent away from their regular duties.
The union has sought the intervention of the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) to urgently review the compensation framework before it calls off the boycott.
“If they don't give any assurances to improve examiners' terms and conditions of service, we shall ensure that we paralyse the examination management in the entire 2026,” Misori said.
He spoke on Friday after a Governing Council meeting in Nairobi resolved that teachers should stay away from all examination administration, supervision and marking duties.
Under the current rates, KCSE supervisors earn Sh630 to Sh680, centre managers Sh500 to Sh550, and invigilators Sh430 to Sh510 following a 2024 review.
Daily allowances for examiners stand at Sh150, while rates for marking individual examination scripts generally range from Sh35 to Sh75.
Kuppet argues that the pay structure for examination centre coordination and script marking does not match the demanding responsibilities involved, likening the remuneration to that of casual labourers.
The union is demanding a minimum flat rate of Sh4,000 per day for supervisors and related officials, and at least Sh100 for marking a single paper.
It has also raised concerns about accommodation provided to examiners at marking centres, saying teachers are forced to sleep on thin mattresses in overcrowded dormitories.
“We are telling our teachers across the country not to engage with or do any work offered by the Kenya National Examination Council until that time they will sit down with us leaders for us to agree on the payment for examiners,” Kuppet national chairman Omboko Milemba said.
With the examination season approaching, the dispute puts pressure on Knec and the SRC to engage the union and seek a resolution before the first papers are administered.
Unless the parties reach an agreement, the boycott threat could disrupt the deployment of teachers needed to supervise and manage the examinations, as well as mark candidates’ scripts.
