Kuppet defends TSC over plight of teachers in hostile regions

KUPPET secretary general Akello Misori and the union's national chairman Omboko Milemba. [Edward Kiplimo,Standard]

The Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) now says that the rising cases of insecurity facing teachers in some counties are beyond the Teachers Service Commission (TSC).

With tens of teachers in Baringo and North Eastern seeking transfers from the hostile regions, the union has challenged the Ministry of Interior to urgently address the situation.

In the last couple of years, tens of teachers in North Eastern refused to report back to school while in parts of Baringo several schools have been closed due to escalating insecurity.

Some teachers have been killed in terror attacks in the past and others robbed and maimed raising fears among the teaching fraternity.

While vowing to protect the teachers, Kuppet Secretary General Akelo Misori termed the escalating insecurity serious as more teachers seek transfers.

He said that they had raised the issue with various government agencies.

"We are aware of the insecurity challenges facing our teachers' mainly in Northern Kenya and Baringo and we are engaging the Ministry of Interior on the same," he said.

Speaking in Naivasha, Akelo expressed the union's concern over the delayed pension for retired teachers and the bureaucracy in processing the payments.

He said that they had engaged TSC which had promised to work jointly with the Department of Pensions on administrative action to hasten the pension.

"We are committed to working with Parliament in amending the People Living with Disability Act which requires teachers living with disabilities to renew certificates every five years," he said.

Akelo at the same time said that they had petitioned the commission over teachers acting in administrative positions without compensation.

But TSC argued that acting appointments were abolished by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC).

"The union's legal team will consider instituting a legal demand to let the court pronounce itself on compensation for acting appointments," he warned.

Last week, Kuppet national chairman Omboko Milemba said that of the 50,000 teachers who had stagnated for years, 30,000 would be promoted in the coming financial year.

Omboko regretted that since 2017, majority of teachers had not been promoted and the Naivasha meeting had resolved to address the same from June.

He said that Sh4 billion would be required for the employment of 20,000 teachers who would come in handy in addressing the crisis in JSS across the country.