The Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) has issued a warning that the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) may not be able to conduct examinations this year due to a lack of funding.
Speaking on Wednesday, KUPPET officials expressed concern that KNEC had not received any government funding, despite the examinations being just three months away. Union representatives highlighted that KNEC currently has no budgetary allocation from the National Treasury.
Supporting these claims, media reports confirmed a circular dated July 5 from Treasury Cabinet Secretary Njuguna Ndung’u, which detailed budget cuts affecting at least 24 areas, including a complete cut in funding for examination and invigilation fees.
In light of this, KUPPET warned that KNEC might have to cancel the exams this year. The Union’s Chair, Omboko Milemba, noted that the examination body could also consider charging parents extra fees to cover the examination costs.
“KNEC has two alternatives: either they will not administer exams due to a lack of budget, or they will charge parents, as was done previously,” stated Omboko Milemba.
The Union also raised concerns about the invigilation of national exams if they proceed, given the current funding issues. Moses Nthurima, KUPPET’s Secretary General, emphasized the uncertainty surrounding the government’s plans following the austerity measures.
“I don’t know whether the government wants to privatize the administration of exams or if they plan to conduct them online,” added Nthurima.
KUPPET continued to express concerns over Kenya’s austerity measures, stressing that the education sector should be protected from budget cuts to ensure the stability and integrity of the national examination process.