They say that money can do wonders and that it runs the world. It seems like the ministry of Education and the Kenya National Examinations council (KNEC) had this in mind when they stipulated this year’s allowances for the KCPE and KCSE examinations officials.
Exams officials and the many government officials that have been part of the ongoing examinations process are smiling to the bank with the government seemingly rewarding them handsomely for their efforts in ensuring we have clean and credible exams.
The officers have been getting daily subsistence allowances ranging between Sh6,300 to Sh18, 000 in major towns.
Cabinet Secretaries, Chief Administrative Secretaries, Principal Secretaries, heads of parastatals who have been witnessing the administration of the examinations since October 30, are usually accompanied by two to five staff-who are also entitled to daily subsistence allowances.
Compared to last year, this year’s exercise attracted more than 10 Cabinet Secretaries and other senior government officers.
Those monitoring the exams in areas such as Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Malindi, Kilifi, Lamu, Kwale and Naivasha are entitled to daily allowances between Sh6, 300 and Sh18,200.
Those in Nyeri, Eldoret, Kericho, Kakamega, Kisii, Embu, Nanyuki, Nakuru, Lodwar and Garissa are paid between Sh4,900 and Sh12,600 while those in all other towns are getting between Sh4,200 and Sh10,500.
Those going outside Nairobi are also entitled to air transport since they are required to be in examination centres as early as 6am in order to monitor the exercise. Some also spend the nights in nearby hotels in order to be in designated centres on time.
There are more than 1,000 special monitors drawn from various ministries and departments of government who are involved in monitoring the exams. They are also paid daily subsistence allowance.
The registration of the 1.6 million candidates for both the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) and Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) cost Sh4 billion, while monitoring the exams is costing taxpayers Sh4.2billion.
This means that the government officers involved in the exercise are drawing their allowances from their respective institutions, which will run into millions of shillings.
President Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto have also visited schools to inspect the exercise with Kuppet and the Consumer Federation of Kenya questioning their roles in the exercise.
KUPPET, led by national chairperson Omboko Milemba, say that the presence of top government officials and politicians is not meant to curb cheating as the government put’s it. The union say’s that all these are meant to intimidate candidates.
Mr. Milemba has also urged the government to leave monitoring of examinations to teachers.
“Exams should not be militarized, politicized, and over-hyped. There is no need of politicians who don’t understand issues of exams and education moving to classes that they’re flagging off exams,” said the KUPPET boss.
Are the Examinations Officers and Government Officials Entitled to Such Lump-some allowances?