Teachers to strike ‘billions’ jackpot in national exam budget

Spending trail  for the Sh4.2 billion set aside for national examinations, which start with practicals on Monday, can now be revealed.

Close to Sh1 billion will be used to pay 264,446 field officers who include centre managers, supervisors, invigilators, security agents and drivers while Sh2 billion will go to markers.

The rest is expected to be used in other logistics such as hiring choppers and fuelling vehicles as well as paying allowances to various government officers involved in monitoring the examinations.

On Tuesday last week, Education Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed told National Assembly’s Education Committee that Sh3.3 billion was to be released for the exams by Friday last week.

 

However, on Tuesday, the CS could not confirm if the Sh3 billion had already been released as promised, as she could not be reached.

Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examination will start on October 30 after rehearsals on October 29 while Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) written examination will start on November 5.

KCSE practicals, French (oral and Braille), German (oral), Arabic (oral), Kenyan sign language (practical signing skills), Music (practical) and Home Science (foods and nutrition) will start on October 22.

However, on Tuesday, the CS could not confirm if the Sh3 billion had already been released as promised, as she could not be reached.

Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examination will start on October 30 after rehearsals on October 29 while Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) written examination will start on November 5.

KCSE practicals, French (oral and Braille), German (oral), Arabic (oral), Kenyan sign language (practical signing skills), Music (practical) and Home Science (foods and nutrition) will start on October 22.

There will be 20,156 such officers and they will work for 18 days which translates to Sh144 million.

Drivers will be 5,039 and each will get Sh405 for 18 days which adds up to Sh36.7 million.

In total, payment to field officers for KCSE examinations will be Sh705 million.

In the KCPE examination, 27,161 centre managers will be paid Sh500 a day for three days which means that they will take home Sh40.7 million.

A total of 27,354 supervisors will be paid a flat rate of Sh2,485 which will be Sh68 million, 65,107 invigilators will get Sh1,615 which totals to Sh105.1 million, and Sh1,050 will be paid to 54,322 security personnel amounting to Sh57 million. Some 6,791 drivers will get Sh1,040 totalling to Sh7.1 million.

A total of Sh237.2 million will be used in administration of the three-day KCPE examination.

At least five choppers have also been provided to deliver examination materials in case of an emergency. Armoured vehicles are also available in areas such as Lamu and North Eastern region.

On Monday, Ms Mohamed said 224 security officers will escort the examination materials from the Kenya National Examinations Council (Knec) warehouse in Nairobi to the examination storage facilities in the sub-counties.

The materials will be dispatched twice weekly from Nairobi to the 459 sub-counties.

Knec has also set up command and coordination centres and the ICT ministry has also provided 300 ICT officers to support the examination process.

 

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