Relief For Teachers As Government Releases Long-Awaited Payments

Thousands of teachers who participated in the marking of the 2025 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) and Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA) examinations have finally started receiving their long-awaited marking allowances after the government released funds to clear the outstanding payments.

The development brings relief to thousands of teachers who had waited for nearly seven months to receive the balance of their dues, despite repeated assurances from government officials that the payments would be processed.

In a statement issued on Thursday, July 9, Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba confirmed that the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) had successfully disbursed the outstanding marking allowances directly into the respective bank accounts of eligible examiners.

Ogamba said the payments cover teachers who participated in the marking of both the 2025 Kenya Junior School Education Assessment and the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examinations.

“We are pleased to inform all examiners who participated in the marking of the 2025 Kenya Junior School Education Assessment and the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examination that the balance of their marking allowances has been disbursed to their respective accounts by the Kenya National Examinations Council,” Ogamba announced.

The payments were made possible after the National Treasury released Ksh1.5 billion to the Ministry of Education on July 7 specifically to clear the outstanding arrears owed to teachers and other professionals contracted during the administration and marking of the 2025 national examinations.

The funding ended months of uncertainty and anxiety among thousands of teachers who had repeatedly questioned why they had not received their full payments long after completing the marking exercise.

For months, teachers had voiced their frustrations over the delayed allowances, arguing that many had incurred personal expenses while undertaking the marking exercise and were relying on the payments to meet financial obligations.

The delays also attracted criticism from education stakeholders, who warned that failure to compensate examiners on time could affect the smooth administration of future national examinations.

Just days before the funds were released, Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi confirmed that the government had fulfilled its commitment by releasing the Ksh1.5 billion required to settle the outstanding balances.

Mbadi said the Treasury had honoured a promise he had previously made to members of the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET), assuring them that the government remained committed to clearing the pending arrears.

According to the Treasury CS, the allocation was specifically intended to pay teachers and other contracted professionals who had participated in the 2025 examination process, bringing to an end speculation over whether the funds would be released after several earlier payment commitments failed to materialise.

The prolonged delays had heightened tensions between teachers and education authorities, with KUPPET warning that its members would not participate in the invigilation, supervision and marking of the 2026 national examinations unless the government settled the outstanding allowances.

The union maintained that teachers should not continue offering examination services while previous payments remained unpaid, arguing that prompt compensation was necessary to maintain confidence in the national examination process.

The matter also drew the attention of senior government officials, including Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, who repeatedly assured teachers that the government was working to mobilise the required funds and that all outstanding payments would be made once the Treasury released the money.

With the funds now disbursed and teachers beginning to receive their payments, the latest announcement is expected to ease tensions between KNEC, the Ministry of Education and teachers ahead of preparations for the 2026 national examinations.

The development comes at a crucial time as KNEC has already commenced preparations for next year’s examination cycle.

The examinations council recently invited qualified secondary school teachers and college tutors to apply for positions as assessors for the 2026 KCSE oral and practical examinations, with the application deadline set for July 15.

KNEC has also continued advising teachers who are yet to receive their allowances to verify that the banking and personal details captured on the Contracted Professionals (CP2) portal are accurate, noting that incorrect information could delay the processing of payments.

The successful release of the outstanding allowances is expected to restore confidence among contracted examination professionals and ensure smoother preparations for the 2026 national examination season, where thousands of teachers will once again be required to supervise, invigilate and mark examinations across the country.

Read Also: Teachers To Receive Delayed 2025 KNEC Exam Payments As Treasury Releases Funds