The threat by teachers in Kakamega to boycott the 2026 national examinations is yet another warning that Kenya’s education sector is facing deeper problems than the government appears willing to acknowledge. While national examinations are too important to be disrupted by industrial disputes, the concerns raised by the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) cannot simply be dismissed.
At the heart of the dispute are teachers’ welfare, examination allowances and payment rates, which the union says have remained unchanged for too long. Teachers involved in marking, invigilation and supervision perform duties that are critical to the credibility of the national examination system. It is therefore reasonable for the government to ensure that their compensation reflects the demands placed upon them and that payments are made promptly.
The government must, however, also recognise the danger of allowing labour disputes to escalate until they threaten national examinations. Examinations affect millions of learners and families, and any disruption could create unnecessary anxiety for students who have spent years preparing for these critical assessments. Teachers’ grievances and students’ interests should not be placed in opposition to each other.
More worrying is the wider complaint about political interference in the recruitment and promotion of teachers. Education employment decisions must be guided by competence, transparent procedures and institutional independence—not political patronage. The Teachers Service Commission must be allowed to discharge its constitutional mandate without undue interference from politicians.
The complaints about teachers remaining in the same job groups for many years also deserve serious attention. Career progression is an important component of employee motivation. A teacher who sees little prospect of advancement may eventually become frustrated, affecting morale and, potentially, classroom performance.
The government should therefore approach the current dispute as an opportunity to undertake a broader review of teachers’ welfare. Negotiations with Kuppet and other education unions should be conducted in good faith, with clear timelines for resolving outstanding issues. Examination-related allowances should be reviewed where necessary, while mechanisms for timely payment should be strengthened.
At the same time, teachers and their unions must appreciate the public interest involved in national examinations. Industrial action should not become the first response to every disagreement. The government, for its part, must stop treating teachers’ grievances as matters that can be postponed until they become crises.
Kenya cannot aspire to build a competitive economy while its education system is repeatedly destabilised by unresolved labour disputes. The government must demonstrate that it values teachers not merely as workers who deliver examinations and classroom instruction, but as the foundation of the country’s human-capital development.
The immediate priority should be dialogue. The government, the Teachers Service Commission and teachers’ unions must return to the negotiating table and agree on practical solutions before the examination season is jeopardised.
Kenya’s children should not pay the price for failures in industrial relations. The government must act now—fairly, transparently and decisively—to restore confidence in the education sector.
