Teachers contracted by the Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) for the 2024 KPSEA and KCSE examinations feel relieved. The concerted efforts and concerns voiced by MPs and senators on Thursday seem to have compelled KNEC to expedite the payment of allowances to these teachers, which began on Friday and continued through yesterday.
Messages celebrating this development flooded various teachers’ social media platforms on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning.
The first contracted officials to be paid included the KPSEA and KCSE invigilators, supervisors, and centre managers. KCSE markers also started receiving positive messages yesterday morning.
Teachers from Kisumu, Kericho, and West Pokot thanked their legislators for addressing the delayed payments from KNEC. “Our MPs and senators have come to our rescue.Imagine having to beg for what you’ve worked for; it’s quite demoralizing,” said one teacher from Kericho.
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While KNEC-contracted teachers celebrate this long-awaited payment, another group of teachers from Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) who participated in retooling workshops in early December 2024 are frustrated.
As of yesterday morning, the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) had not yet disbursed retooling allowances to these teachers.
These teachers are questioning how KNEC managed to pay their colleagues. “We plan to urge our MPs and senators next week to inquire where KNEC found the funds to pay our colleagues,” quipped an irate JSS teacher from Kisumu County.
The teacher further pointed out that such delays lead to demotivation, as teachers often have to pay out of pocket for attending retooling sessions. Many incur significant expenses on accommodation, given that the venues are sometimes far from their homes.
The next phase of retooling is scheduled to take place next month. TSC is expected to retool the newly recruited junior secondary teachers, totalling around 20,000.
It is hoped that the Commission will act quickly to release the retooling allowances to address the growing dissatisfaction among teachers regarding the training programs and the concerns raised by the affected facilitators.
By Kaptich Tarus
