Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba has faced questions over delayed payments to contracted professionals engaged in the administration and marking of national examinations and assessments, giving different explanations each time the matter has been raised.
Thousands of teachers, examiners, supervisors, invigilators, security officers and drivers contracted by the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) for the exercise have been waiting for over four months for their pay.
The group had anticipated receiving their allowances shortly after completing their duties in late November 2025, but the delayed compensation has extended beyond four months, fuelling frustration among educators.
The Ministry of Education and KNEC have acknowledged the delays, saying the government is working to release funds.
However, the extended waiting period persists even after the National Treasury approved Sh3.1 billion in additional funding for 2025 national exams arrears
Appearing before the National Assembly plenary on Wednesday, Ogamba said the challenge lies in the availability of a Sh4.7 billion budget deficit needed to pay the contracted professionals.
“It is this amount that’s supposed to be availed by Treasury to enable the payment of this pending bill to the examiners and other invigilators. What we are doing currently is negotiating with Treasury to avail these resources in order for us to be able to pay the examiners. We have had discussions with them because, in the supplementary, this figure was not allocated,” he said.
The CS added that discussions are centred on how the pending bill can be accommodated in the 2026–27 Budget Policy Statement.
The challenge has been this budget was not provided for,” he said.
However, on Thursday, Ogamba dismissed as fake a statement attributed to him claiming that contracted professionals would have to wait until the next financial year to receive their payments—”subject to allocation and release of funds”—effectively contradicting his remarks to Parliament.
“The document currently circulating is fake. I urge the public to treat it with the contempt it deserves,” he said.
Who is owed what?
From 2015, the government took over the burden of funding national examinations in a policy shift that stopped KNEC from charging examination fees to parents.
The policy was aimed at supporting free and compulsory basic education by ensuring no child missed school or exams due to lack of funds.
In the 2025–26 financial year, the National Treasury allocated Sh5.9 billion to KNEC for the administration of KCSE examinations and national assessments under the Competency-Based Education (CBE).
Of this, Sh3 billion was earmarked for KCSE examinations, Sh900 million for KPSEA and Sh2 billion for KJSEA.
School-based assessments received no allocation. Ogamba said the Sh5.9 billion allocation fell short of the Sh12.723 billion required.
The total budget needed to administer KCSE exams stood at Sh8 billion, Sh1 billion for KPSEA and Sh3.5 billion for KJSEA.
He added that the budgetary demand for administering school-based assessments—continuous, learner-centred evaluations conducted by teachers—stood at Sh87.3 billion.
This is in addition to Sh1.037 billion in arrears owed to teachers and examiners from the 2024 examination cycle.
To help bridge the deficit, the National Treasury in September 2025 approved Sh3.1 billion in additional funding to KNEC for the examination administration.
Article 223 of the Constitution allows the national government to spend money not authorised by an Appropriation Act if the initial budget is insufficient, unforeseen needs arise or in emergencies.
The additional funding reduced the outstanding deficit for national examinations and assessments to Sh4.76 billion, comprising the 2025–26 funding shortfall and the 2024 pending bill.
Ogamba told MPs that the ministry had hoped the deficit would be addressed through Supplementary Statement I to enable payment of dues owed to examiners, supervisors, invigilators, marking centre managers and other creditors.
National assessment, supervision and invigilation cost Sh2.3 billion, yet none of the contracted teachers and examiners have been paid under this component.
Administering KJSEA required Sh644 million, with Sh168 million having been paid so far, leaving a balance of Sh475 million.
Administering KCSE exams required Sh1.5 billion, with an initial payment of Sh431 million, leaving a deficit of Sh1.1 billion.
KPSEA required Sh191 million, with Sh165 million having been paid, leaving a balance of Sh26 million.
KCSE examination marking required Sh711 million, with teachers having so far been paid Sh319 million, leaving a balance of Sh391 million.
Ogamba told legislators that other support staff, such as drivers and security personnel, are owed Sh437 million, bringing the total pending bill to Sh4.7 billion.