Teachers Threaten Boycott of Marking 2026 National Examination
The Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) has threatened to boycott the marking of the 2026 national examinations unless the government addresses concerns over teachers’ remuneration and allowances.
Speaking on Saturday, October 10, 2026, KUPPET Secretary General Akello Misori said members would not participate in the marking exercise until KNEC and the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) agree on improved payment terms.
The union has accused KNEC of paying teachers inadequate allowances despite the critical role they play in administering and marking national examinations.
“What we want as a union is for the KNEC to sort out the payment issues of our teachers who will be participating in the marking exercise,” Misori said.
The dispute between the union and the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) has escalated, raising concerns over a possible disruption of the examination marking exercise if the two sides fail to reach an agreement.
KUPPET decries low examination marking fees
Misori criticised the rates paid to teachers involved in marking national examinations, arguing that the remuneration does not reflect the demands of the work or the current cost of living.
He claimed that some teachers receive as little as Ksh30 per script, describing the payments as inadequate for professionals responsible for evaluating learners’ academic performance.
“How do you expect a professional who teaches future engineers, doctors, or lawyers to earn less than a casual labourer per day?” he posed.
The union has repeatedly raised concerns over low pay, working conditions and delays in disbursing payments to teachers involved in national examination activities.
Misori said the union had directed its members not to participate in the marking exercise unless KNEC establishes more favourable payment arrangements.
“We have directed our members not to take part in the marking unless KNEC establishes favourable payment arrangements,” he added.
Union seeks SRC intervention
KUPPET Chairman Omboko Milemba said the union had formally approached the SRC to intervene in the dispute and facilitate negotiations with KNEC.
Milemba called on the commission to convene a meeting between the two parties to agree on a payment formula before the 2026 examination marking exercise begins.
“We have written to the SRC to arrange a meeting between us and KNEC to agree on the payment formula, or we will instruct our members to withdraw from any involvement with KNEC,” Milemba said.
The intervention is expected to provide a platform for negotiations over the allowances paid to teachers participating in the marking process.
However, KNEC maintains that payments to examination markers are governed by individual contracts entered into by teachers before reporting to marking centres.
Under the arrangements, the council considers marking fees and allowances to be contractual terms accepted by teachers before they undertake the exercise.
The disagreement now places pressure on the union, KNEC and the SRC to find common ground before the national examination marking programme gets underway.
Teacher shortage raises further concerns
Beyond the remuneration dispute, Misori has raised concerns over the persistent shortage of teachers in public schools, saying more recruitment is needed to address staffing gaps.
He said that despite the government’s recruitment of 100,000 teachers, the country still faces a deficit of 106,660 teachers.
The government had committed to recruiting 120,000 teachers by December 2026 as part of efforts to strengthen staffing levels in public schools.
Of the targeted number, 100,000 teachers have already been recruited, with an additional 20,000 expected to be hired before the end of the year.
The union’s concerns over staffing come amid continued pressure on the education sector to improve learning conditions, ensure adequate teacher deployment and address remuneration disputes affecting the profession.
With the 2026 national examinations approaching, the outcome of negotiations between KUPPET, KNEC and the SRC could determine whether teachers participate in the marking exercise under the existing payment terms or proceed with the threatened boycott.