Thousands of teachers who participated in the 2025 national examinations are set to receive long-awaited payments after Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi confirmed that Ksh1.5 billion has been released to the Ministry of Education to clear outstanding arrears.
Speaking during an interview, Mbadi said the funds were disbursed on Wednesday, June 1, and assured teachers that payment processing would now begin.
“Ksh1.5 billion was released today to the Ministry of Education to pay the arrears. I made that promise while I was in Homabay addressing KUPPET. That is sorted, they will get their money now,” he said.
The funds are meant to pay teachers who served as invigilators and exam markers during the 2025 national examinations, many of whom have waited for months to receive their dues.
Mbadi added that the release fulfills a commitment he made earlier to members of the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) in Homa Bay, following repeated complaints over delayed payments.
Despite earlier assurances from government officials that the money had been allocated, many teachers had remained skeptical due to a history of delayed or unfulfilled payment promises.
In recent months, senior government officials, including Deputy President Kithure Kindiki and Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba, had assured teachers that the arrears would be cleared.
The Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers had even instructed its members to boycott invigilation and marking duties for the 2026 national examinations until the outstanding payments were settled.
The latest confirmation is expected to ease tensions between teachers and the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC), bringing relief to educators who have waited approximately seven months for their payments.
Teachers are now expected to verify and update their details on the KNEC Contracted Professionals (CP2) portal to ensure smooth processing and avoid payment delays caused by incorrect records.
Meanwhile, KNEC has already begun recruiting assessors for the 2026 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) oral and practical examinations, inviting qualified secondary school teachers and college tutors to apply before the July 15 deadline.