KCSE marking in limbo as examiners strike

KCSE marking in limbo as examiners strike

The marking of the 2025 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations has been jeopardized after several examiners at marking centres downed their tools over delayed payment of allowances.

The action has raised concerns about possible disruptions to the release of results.

A Kenya National Examinations Council, Knec, top official has confirmed that there have been delays in paying the allowance but was quick to add that the Council is working around the clock to ensure no one leaves the marking centre without being paid.

At Mary Hill Girls High School, one of the 40 official KCSE marking centres across the country, examiners handling English Paper 2 staged demonstrations on Sunday, protesting what they termed as the government’s failure to pay their coordination allowances.

The protests brought the marking process to a standstill at the centre, with the examiners vowing not to resume work until their demands are met.

According to the protesting teachers, a total of 867 examiners deployed to the Mary Hill centre have not received their allowances since arriving at the facility on November 30.

They said the delay has caused frustration and financial strain, forcing some to cater for upkeep costs out of their own pockets.

“The agreement was that coordination allowances would be paid within five days of our arrival. Three weeks later, nothing has been paid,” one of the examiners; who sought anonymity, said.

The examiners are demanding a coordination allowance of Sh5,000 each, which they say was promised by the government at the start of the exercise.

Those who remained behind said they had also suspended marking activities until the issue is resolved.

The examiners, who began marking the national examinations about three weeks ago, insisted they will not participate in the exercise unless their dues are paid in full.

They accused the authorities of ignoring a recurring problem that has affected marking exercises in previous years.

Similar disputes over delayed allowances and poor working conditions were reported during the KCSE marking exercises in 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2023, with examiners saying little has changed despite repeated promises by the government to address the issue.

The disruption comes at a critical time, as the 2025 KCSE marking exercise is scheduled to conclude on Monday, December 15.

Any prolonged delay could potentially affect the processing and release of results, which the Ministry of Education has already indicated will be announced in January 2026.

This year’s KCSE examinations attracted one of the largest cohorts in recent history, with a total of 996,078 candidates sitting the national exams.

The size of the cohort has already put pressure on the marking process, making timely completion crucial.