Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) has raised concern over low pay for exam invigilation.

Kuppet Secretary General Akello Misori said Kenya National Examination Council (Knec) has failed to review and improve on the terms of payment for preparation and invigilation of exams.

"Teachers are not happy even as the country braces for national inaugural exams for Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) and the legendary Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE)," Mr Misori said.

He regretted that the school administrators are still being paid peanuts.

A principal of a school is being paid as low as Sh500.

"With the tiresome work being tasked to go to the container very early in the morning, mid morning and in the evening, it is very unfortunate," he said as KCSE exams began.

KPSEA exams are to commence officially on October 28 and end on November 1, 2024.

Mr Misori said the deputy principals of the schools are not covered, and neither are the teachers who prepare laboratories for use by students.

He spoke at Ntakira Secondary School in North Imenti Constituency, Meru County.

He said it is worrying that even after the exams are done, the teachers marking are still being paid a paltry Sh150.

"Even groundsmen are not paid such an amount of money. In fact, we are contemplating a raft of actions… we are consulting with our members in relation to this," Mr Misori said.

He said the domiciling of Grade 9 in the schools that under 8-4-4 syllabus were referred to as primary schools, is very unfortunate.

"There are many classrooms in secondary schools. Grade 9 should be taken there, and it will be a disaster if the government still insists on this (remaining in primary section)," he said.

Kuppet Meru Branch Executive Secretary Karuti Nchebere thanked the government for resolving to employ 40,000 teachers on a permanent basis.

Nchebere urged TSC to look for a new insurance scheme for teachers claiming that “Minet was not offering good services to teachers”. 

He said they will negotiate for salary increment for teachers between 30 to 70 percent.