No Opening of Schools On Monday, Strike Still On

The Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) and the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) on Wednesday vowed to proceed with the planned teachers’ strike after botched talks with the government.

While addressing the press, the officials from the two unions resolved to continue with their demonstrations which are scheduled to kick off on Monday, August 26.

The two unions made the announcement after they failed to reach an agreement with the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) on the implementation of the Collective Bargain Agreement (CBA).

During the meeting, the teachers union representatives rejected TSC’s offer to only implement a section of the 2021- 2025 Collective Bargain Agreement.

Among the other pressing issues raised by the teachers included promotion, employment of more teachers, and increased budget allocation by the government.

The latest decision comes a day after the Commission invited both KUPPET and KNUT officials to a meeting in order to address their grievances.

The Wednesday meeting was the first one convened to help resolve the stalemate which is projected to paralyse learning in public schools across the country.

TSC’s meeting with KUPPET and KNUT comes hardly five days after President William Ruto directed all the relevant parties to engage in meaningful dialogue and come up with a solution to avert the looming crisis.

“Treasury, TSC, and the teaching fraternity should sit together and look at the possibility of ensuring that we implement our commitment as government,” President William Ruto said.

The latest development also comes barely a fortnight after the teachers’ unions issued a strike notice to the teachers’ commission to address pertinent issues affecting tutors.

“KNUT and KUPPET have today joined forces to demand the immediate resolution of the following six issues causing unrest among our members,” KNUT Secretary General Collins Oyuu stated.

“The unions demand the immediate confirmation of all current intern teachers to permanent and pensionable terms effective July 1, 2024, and the remittance of their full salaries for the month, which are now arrears,” Oyuu added.