The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) is once again under pressure after new claims emerged that it is facing financial difficulties and may not be able to pay exam invigilators and other contracted officials on time.
This comes despite earlier assurances from Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba, who had told teachers and stakeholders that payments would be made within a short time. He had dismissed reports that KNEC lacked funds, saying the government had already provided money through the supplementary budget.
However, fresh reports now suggest that the council is still struggling with payment delays. Some sources have questioned whether KNEC has received sufficient funding to clear all pending dues.
President William Ruto recently signed the Supplementary Appropriations Bill, 2026 into law, increasing the national budget by Sh393 billion. Part of this funding was expected to support key government sectors, including education.
The education sector received about Sh45.28 billion in the revised budget, down from an earlier proposal of Sh66 billion. The reduced allocation affected several areas, including payments for examination officials, capitation, and school feeding programmes.
A breakdown of the education budget shows that:
- TSC received Sh24.2 billion for salary shortfalls and health contributions
- HELB received Sh4.1 billion
- Sh3.88 billion was allocated for university salary arrears and TVET support
- Sh6 billion went to higher education institutions
- Sh1.5 billion was allocated to the Universities Funding Board
- Sh3 billion was set aside for TSC pending medical cover bills
- Sh2.6 billion went to the Kenya–China TVET project
KNEC has, however, denied claims circulating online that it had already received funds specifically for paying invigilators. The council says it is still working with the National Treasury to resolve the issue.
The Auditor General has previously flagged KNEC as financially strained, noting that its liabilities exceed its assets by about Sh2 billion. This has raised concerns about its ability to meet financial obligations without government support.
Some teachers’ unions have warned of possible action, including protests and even boycotts of national exams, if payment delays are not addressed.
KNEC contracts thousands of teachers and other professionals each year to support national examinations, including invigilators, supervisors, centre managers, drivers, and security personnel. While payments are expected after exam processes are completed, delays have been a recurring issue.
The council has previously explained that most delays are caused by errors in data submission and documentation. These include mismatched names, missing ID details, incomplete attendance records, or incorrect registration in the CP2 system used for payment processing.
To address this, KNEC has outlined steps for affected individuals, including updating personal details, correcting documentation, and working through Sub-County education offices to verify records.
Despite the challenges, teachers continue to demand faster and more reliable payment systems, especially after completing national examination duties.
