The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) has threatened to boycott the marking, invigilation and supervision of the 2026 national examinations unless teachers receive unpaid allowances for the 2025 exam exercise.
The union claims thousands of teachers are yet to receive their dues despite the National Treasury releasing Ksh1.5 billion to the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC).
The warning raises fresh concerns over possible disruptions to next year's examination calendar if the payment dispute remains unresolved.
KNUT Threatens to Boycott 2026 National Exams Over Delayed Allowance Payments
Speaking in Laikipia West Constituency, KNUT officials accused the government of failing to honour its commitment to teachers who supervised and invigilated the 2025 national examinations.
The union insisted that teachers would not participate in any examination duties in 2026 until all outstanding allowances are paid.
KNUT questioned why teachers had not received their payments despite Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi confirming that Ksh1.5 billion had already been released to KNEC.
Union leaders said teachers had fulfilled their responsibilities during the 2025 examinations and deserved prompt payment for their work.
KNUT Rejects System Failure Explanations for Payment Delays
The union criticized repeated claims that technical or system challenges were responsible for the delayed payments.
Officials said teachers had grown frustrated by recurring explanations while they continued waiting for money they had already earned.
KNUT argued that prolonged delays were undermining teachers' confidence and called for immediate action to clear all pending allowances.
Government Says Payments Were Released as Dispute Deepens
The standoff comes despite repeated government assurances that the allowances had been processed.
In June, Treasury CS John Mbadi announced that the funds had been released and that teachers would begin receiving their payments.
Weeks later, Education Cabinet Secretary Migos Ogamba stated that KNEC had started disbursing the balance of the marking allowances to examiners' bank accounts.
However, KNUT maintains that many teachers have yet to receive the money, raising fresh questions over whether the funds reached the intended beneficiaries.
Key Developments in the Allowance Dispute
| Issue | Details |
|---|---|
| Outstanding payments | 2025 invigilation, supervision and marking allowances |
| Treasury allocation | Ksh1.5 billion released to KNEC |
| KNUT demand | Immediate payment of all pending allowances |
| Union warning | Boycott of 2026 national examination duties |
| Government position | Payments have been released to teachers |
With preparations for the 2026 national examinations underway, the dispute now places pressure on the government and KNEC to resolve the payment standoff quickly and avoid disruptions that could affect thousands of candidates nationwide.
