In an impassioned speech at the Senate on Thursday, May 5, New York Senator Esther Okenyuri called for an explanation from the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) regarding the nonpayment of teachers who invigilated and marked the 2022 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) and Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations. The KCSE 2022 results were announced in January, but the teachers have yet to receive their compensation nearly four months after the completion of their work.
Senator Okenyuri expressed her concern for the teachers who devoted their time and energy to ensuring the successful administration of the exams, only to be met with unexplained delays in payment. Addressing the Senate Standing Committee on Education, Okenyuri demanded a statement clarifying the reasons for the holdup.
Furthermore, she urged the KNEC to outline its plans for not only expediting payment to the affected teachers but also establishing long-term solutions to prevent similar delays in the future. “There needs to be recommendations of long-term redress measures to ensure that KNEC makes timely payments to the teachers whom it contracts for supervision, invigilation, and marking of national examinations,” she said.
Okenyuri’s advocacy for the unpaid teachers resonated with many on social media, garnering praise and appreciation for her commitment to standing up for the rights of educators who have yet to receive their hard-earned wages.