Nursery teachers in Kenya join union

Kenya Union of Pre Primary Education Teachers (Kunoppet)Nyeri county chairperson Margaret Gathigia addressing the press, at DEB Muslim Primary school in Nyeri town. PHOTO: LYDIAH NYAWIRA

NYERI: Over 500 nursery school teachers have joined the Kenya Union of Pre-Primary Education Teachers (Kunoppet).

The teachers now want Chief Justice Willy Mutunga to intervene in a court case that has led to a standoff between the county government and the Teachers Service Commission.

Kunoppet Secretary General Samuel Opiyo said the union was carrying out a recruitment drive across the country because the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) had failed to address the long standing issues raised by his members.

"The challenges facing pre-primary teachers are very unique and we have decided that we will now have to address our concerns through another avenue," Mr Opiyo said.

He said the union has so far recruited 3,000 members from Laikipia, Makueni, Kitui and Nyeri.

"The teachers have been inviting Kunoppet to their counties because they want us to help them demand for pay slips and recognition of their contribution to the education system," Opiyo said.

Chairperson of the Nyeri Kunnopet Chapter Margaret Gathigia, said the teachers had been disillusioned by the fact that the county government had refused to employ them citing the pending court case.

"We are requesting the chief justice to intervene because the case has been in the court for two years, holding the nursery school teachers hostage," Ms Gathigia said.