Teachers strike to kick off on Monday, KUPPET says

KUPPET Secretary-General Akelo Misori (R) and Deputy Secretary General Moses Nthurima during a press briefing on July 19, 2024. [Kanyiri Wahito, Standard]

The Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) has confirmed that the planned teachers' strike will proceed as scheduled, beginning on Monday, August 26. The strike date coincides with the reopening of schools for the third term.

KUPPET Secretary General Akelo Misori assured all teachers that the union is committed to protecting their rights and interests, regardless of their union membership status.

The union decided to move forward with the strike following a democratic vote by its members. Of the 73 members present, 68 voted in favor of the strike, while five abstained.

KUPPET acknowledged that the government had appointed a conciliator from the Ministry of Labour to help resolve the dispute. However, they noted that the appointment came too late.

"The appointment was made only two days before the union's Strike Notice expires at midnight today, leaving insufficient time to resolve the issues within the Notice period," Misori said.

The union accuses the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) of failing to fully implement the 2021/25 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). KUPPET is demanding the immediate promotion of 130,000 teachers who have stagnated in their current job grades, as well as the immediate transition of all intern teachers to permanent status effective July 2024.

Additionally, the union insists that TSC must fulfill its legal obligations by promptly remitting teachers' salaries and allowances for the previous month, as stipulated in the agreement.

KUPPET also raised concerns about the teachers' medical cover, claiming that the scheme is on the verge of collapse despite the allocation of Sh15 billion in the current financial year for its maintenance.

Earlier, the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) withdrew their strike notice, citing the government's commitment to addressing teachers' concerns and its role in advancing the education agenda.