Senior school principals have called for a tripartite meeting to iron out issues that have seen a teachers’ union call on its members to boycott the administration and marking of the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations.
Under the auspices of the Kenya Senior Schools Heads Association (KESSHA), the principals want a meeting involving themselves, the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) and the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) before the examinations begin.
KESSHA chair, Willy Kuria, said that although the issues raised by Kuppet are valid, a boycott by teachers to supervise, invigilate and mark the examinations would negatively affect the more than one million candidates who have registered for the KCSE.
Kuppet last week called on its members to boycott the administration and marking of the KCSE examinations over the allowances paid to teachers involved in the conduct of examinations. The dispute centres on the terms and conditions governing teachers engaged as examiners, supervisors, invigilators and centre managers, with the union seeking clearer guidelines and improved remuneration for the additional responsibilities.
“We need a tripartite meeting to thrash out these issues. Instead of a boycott, we can agree on how to manage the examinations. We’d like the examinations to be done honestly. We have taught the students and we’d like their examinations to be marked. We’re also examiners and feel the pinch,” Mr Kuria told Nation .
During examinations, school principals act as the centre managers and are also charged with the responsibility of collecting and returning exam papers from the storage containers.
He added that school principals usually struggle to finance administration of the examinations since schools do not have enough money but would however want the examinations to proceed smoothly.
Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association (Kessha) boss Willy Kuria addressing the press during a past conference in Mombasa.
Photo credit: Kevin Odit | Nation Media Group
He said President William Ruto had given assurance that the examinations would be conducted in a conducive environment. He was referring to the promises the president made to teachers during the World Teachers Day celebration on October 5 2026.
“We commend the government for reaffirming its commitment to safeguarding the integrity, credibility and security of national assessments and examinations. The responsibility to protect the credibility of our examination system has never been greater. We urge all stakeholders to continue working collaboratively to ensure fairness, accountability and public confidence in the assessment process,” Mr Kuria said.
The examinations will begin on Monday next week. The large candidature examinations will begin on November 2 2026 to November 20 2026. A total of 1,048,355 candidates have registered for the KCSE, up from 996,078 candidates last year.
The chief executive officer of KNEC David Njengere told Nation that the council has budget provisions which are funded by the National Treasury and would require further consultations.
“The rates for centres managers, supervisors, invigilators, examiners are reviewed every four years. They are due for review next year,” Dr Njengere said.
Kenya National Examinations Council headquarters, Mtihani House in South C in Nairobi.
Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group
Mr Kuria also welcomed the commitment by the government to review the Career Progression Guidelines. The reviewed guidelines propose the introduction of dual career pathways and measures to address prolonged stagnation in various job grades. The issue has been a source of conflict between Kuppet and the Teachers Service Commission (TSC).
“This is a timely and progressive intervention that recognises the diverse talents, competencies and aspirations of teachers. We look forward to a framework that promotes professional development, merit and equitable opportunities for career advancement,” Mr Kuria said.
He further commended the promise to increase the number of promotion opportunities from the initially announced 34,016 slots to 50,000 teachers in the current year and hiring of more teachers.
“This intervention is critical in addressing teacher shortages, easing workloads and improving the quality of instruction in our schools. We encourage the Government to sustain this momentum until staffing levels adequately reflect the needs of learners and educational institutions across the country,” he said.
The KCSE examination will be managed by 10,765 centre managers, 12,274 supervisors, 57,432 invigilators, 21,388 security officers and 2,694 other personnel.
