KUPPET threatens to withdraw members from national exam marking over pay

Updated 8 November 2026.

What KUPPET said

Citizen Digital (reporter Boniface Thuku, published 05:29 EAT on 8 November 2026) says KUPPET is threatening to withdraw its members from national examination marking over what the union calls poor pay. According to the report, the union says marking allowances do not reflect the work, time and commitment involved.

The report names two officials. Julius Korir, KUPPET national vice chairman, is reported as saying teachers want better pay and that failure to address it could disrupt marking. Mary Rotich, national assistant treasurer, is reported as cautioning that unaddressed concerns could disrupt the examination marking process and delay the release of results. KUPPET asks the government, through the Ministry of Education and the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC), to review marking allowances and improve working conditions for teachers.

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The facts at a glance

What is not yet known

Which exams, and when

The Citizen Digital text speaks of "national examination marking" and does not name an exam or give a date. KCSE, KJSEA and KPSEA appear only as the article's topic tags. The report gives no marking schedule and no date by which the union wants a reply.

Whether any action has been called

The report describes a threat and a warning. It does not say that KUPPET has issued a formal notice or instructed members to stay away from any centre. Nothing in the sources we opened says that any marking has stopped or been delayed.

The official response

The Citizen Digital report carries no statement from KNEC or the Ministry of Education, and does not mention the Teachers Service Commission (TSC). We searched for a response and found none dated 8 November. In the 9 October 001 FM report, KNEC was described as not having announced a revised payment framework answering the union's demands; that was a month earlier and is not a reply to this statement. We will add any official position.

Earlier reports in the same dispute

This is not the first time the union has raised marking pay this season. 001 FM reported on 9 October 2026 that Secretary General Akello Misori's union wanted payments for KNEC-contracted teachers reviewed, and asked the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) to look at the pay structure. The Standard reported on 26 October 2026 that KUPPET had threatened action unless KNEC engages the union and reviews payments for exam duties. We read only the visible part of the Standard report, which is behind a paywall.

What it means for parents and learners

Only what is reported can be said. The KCSE written papers run to 20 November under the KNEC timetable, and nothing in the reports changes that timetable; see our guide to the KCSE papers of 9 to 13 November.

Our earlier note on KJSEA marking reports KNEC saying marking was due to start on 9 November, take about three weeks, with results available to the Ministry by December. We have seen no KNEC statement changing that plan. For what happens after KCSE marking, see After KCSE 2026: results date and placement.

Frequently asked questions

What did KUPPET say on 8 November 2026?

Citizen Digital reported that KUPPET threatens to withdraw members from national exam marking over pay, and asked the Ministry of Education and KNEC to review marking allowances.

Has marking been stopped?

No report we opened says marking has stopped. The Citizen Digital article describes a threat and a warning.

Has KNEC, the Ministry or TSC responded?

We found no response to the 8 November statement from KNEC, the Ministry of Education or TSC. The Citizen Digital report includes none and does not mention TSC.

Which exams does the threat cover?

The report refers to national examination marking without naming an exam. KCSE, KJSEA and KPSEA appear only as tags on the article, so this is not confirmed.

Do the KCSE papers still go ahead?

The KNEC timetable for KCSE written papers, which runs to 20 November, has not been reported as changed. The union statement concerns marking, not the sitting of papers.

Sources

• Teachers threaten to skip national exam marking over poor pay (Citizen Digital, Boniface Thuku, first published 8 Nov 2026, 05:29 EAT)
• KUPPET threatens to boycott 2026 national exams over teachers' allowances (001 FM, 9 Oct 2026)
• Kuppet demands better terms for exam teachers (The Standard, Benard Lusigi, 26 Oct 2026)

CBC Edu Kenya reports published statements and is not part of KUPPET, KNEC, TSC or the Ministry of Education. Details are as reported on 8 November 2026 and may change.