KUPPET Protests After KNEC Allegedly Ejects Teachers From Marking Centres

The Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) protested a decision by the Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) to eject select teachers from marking centres.

Addressing the press on Thursday, November 28, KUPPET officials threatened to recall their members currently marking the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE).

KUPPET’s Siaya branch official Sam Opondo said that a section of teachers were allegedly humiliated and intimidated by the examination council.

He added that the union had received information that a section of teachers was being ejected from the marking centres on grounds that their schools were involved in exam irregularities.

Opondo further revealed that in recent days, KNEC disregarded common decency, decorum, and general good order and subjected the KCSE examiners from selected schools to untold humiliation and unnecessary embarrassment.

“Concerning what we consider as unmitigated mistreatment of our members who are involved in the marking of KCSE exams 2024. Some have been retired without reason, others are ejected outside marking centres like criminals,” Opondo told the press.

While condemning KNEC’s action, the KUPPET officials demanded the immediate reinstatement of the dismissed teachers and compensation for the affected teachers.

“And if KNEC wants to continue with this improper humiliation of our teachers we are ready to take any action which includes calling our teachers to boycott the marking of KCSE exams,” stated Opondo.

The latest developments came hardly a week after students completed their KCSE examinations paving the way for marking. Speaking during a recent presser, Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos announced changes in handling the KCSE exams.

Migos, while addressing examiners at Lang’ata Sub-County Headquarters in Nairobi, explained that security measures were put in place to curb leakages and that individuals, including students, would carry their crosses when caught.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I am here to report that we put in place very serious measures to the extent that this year if there is any malpractice, we are not going to condemn the whole school, centre, or number of people who are there. It is going to be individualised,” the CS stated.

CS Ogamba further revealed that in case a student is caught, the investigators would use the individual’s serialised exam papers to determine the source of the malpractice and punish the culpable examiners or students.