Teachers To Receive Delayed Exam Allowances After Budget Approval

Teachers and education officers who participated in the administration, invigilation, supervision, marking, and assessment of the 2025 national examinations are set to receive their long-awaited payments after Parliament approved additional funding.

The funding, through the second supplementary budget for the 2025/2026 financial year, was unlocked after Members of Parliament adopted the report of the Budget and Appropriations Committee, paving the way for an overall budget increase of approximately Ksh18 billion across various government departments and programmes.

The approval, which was granted during a National Assembly sitting on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, is expected to address concerns that had been raised by teachers and education stakeholders over delays in compensation for examination-related duties.

The move comes just weeks before the close of the financial year on June 30, providing relief to thousands of teachers who had been waiting for the government to honour its financial obligations.

While presenting the committee’s report to the House, Budget and Appropriations Committee Chairperson Samuel Atandi informed lawmakers that the committee had reviewed the second supplementary estimates despite operating under significant time constraints.

“I would like to move that this House adopt a report of the Budget and Appropriations Committee on its consideration of the second supplementary estimates for the financial year 2025/2026,” Atandi told MPs during the debate.

He explained that the supplementary estimates involved adjustments to both recurrent and development expenditure across several ministries, departments, and agencies.

According to Atandi, the committee had limited time to thoroughly scrutinise the proposed allocations because the estimates were submitted to Parliament only two weeks before the end of the current financial year.

“Honourable Speaker, the supplementary estimates were submitted just two weeks before the close of the current financial year, and the committee had very little time to go through the estimates,” he said.

Despite the tight timeline, lawmakers proceeded to approve the additional allocations, citing the urgency of several government obligations that required immediate funding before the financial year concluded.

Among the most notable allocations is Ksh1.5 billion earmarked for the State Department for Basic Education. The funds have specifically been set aside to clear arrears owed to officers involved in the administration and assessment of national examinations.

The allocation is expected to benefit thousands of teachers and education personnel who played a critical role in ensuring the smooth conduct of national examinations across the country.

Over the past several months, concerns had emerged regarding delayed payments, with teachers’ unions and education stakeholders repeatedly calling on the government to settle the outstanding dues.

Atandi acknowledged the concerns and assured the House that the issue had now been addressed through the supplementary budget.

“Mr Speaker, when we passed the main estimates, there was an uproar that we had not factored in the funds that were meant for those who helped us invigilate the previous exams,” he said.

“I want to confirm that this money has now been factored in in this supplementary budget, which we are going to pass now,” Atandi added.

The announcement was welcomed as a breakthrough for teachers who have long argued that examination-related duties involve extensive work that deserves prompt compensation.

Teachers are often deployed to supervise candidates, invigilate examination centres, transport examination materials, and participate in marking exercises, responsibilities that are critical to maintaining the credibility and integrity of the national examination process.

With the funds now approved, the government is expected to expedite the processing of payments before the June 30 deadline, bringing an end to months of uncertainty among affected education officers.

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