The Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) Homa Bay Branch has called on the government to immediately address challenges affecting Junior Secondary School (JSS) teachers and other teaching staff.
Speaking in Homa Bay, Branch Executive Secretary Stephen Yogo said more than 20,000 JSS teachers were still serving as interns, earning salaries that cannot sustain them throughout a month.
He called on the government to confirm the interns by January, warning that failure to do so would demoralise the education workforce.
“We know the money they are getting is too little. After they pay loans and rent, they are left with very little to survive on,” Yogo said. “We are transitioning to Grade 10, and the government must motivate our teachers by confirming them.”
Currently, JSS interns earn an average of Ksh17, 000 per month.
Yogo also pushed for autonomy in the JSS system, urging the government to either provide stand-alone JSS institutions or transfer the JSS teachers to senior schools where they can teach the subjects they were trained for.
The union further raised concerns over the implementation of the new Social Health Authority (SHA) medical scheme for teachers, noting that only one hospital, in Homa Bay town has been accredited to serve teachers within the county.
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Yogo argued that the facility cannot adequately serve the county’s 4,175 KUPPET members and about 9,000 primary school teachers, especially given the vast geographical spread of Homa Bay.
“It is not possible for teachers in areas such as Miriu, Atela or Kobala to travel all the way to Homa Bay town for medical treatment,” he said.
“The suspension of hospitals is not the making of KUPPET, KNUT or KUSNET. The government must stop suspending facilities and instead accredit more to ensure teachers get the services they need.”
He added that the government had promised more accredited hospitals than those provided under the previous scheme, which offered 15 facilities yet SHA currently recognizes only one.
KUPPET Homa Bay Branch Chairperson Dr. Jack Odhiambo Okoth backed the calls, criticizing the government for what he noted as prioritizing lecturers over interns, while the cost of living continues to rise.
“These teachers cannot afford to put food on the table. If they cannot be confirmed, the least the government can do is increase their salaries to something worthy of a graduate,” Okoth said.
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He also condemned SHA’s decision to limit access to a single hospital, saying the Ministry must resolve the standoff with health facilities to avoid disrupting essential medical services.
KUPPET Kisumu Branch Treasurer Aspirant Sheryl Achieng described the current medical access as “inconvenient and demeaning,” citing cases where teachers must call hospitals for approval before receiving treatment.
“As a union, we want seamless medical services. It is also very unfair for a graduate teacher to earn as little as Ksh17,000 with the current cost of living,” she said.
Achieng added that JSS teachers face numerous challenges including contributing towards meals at their workplaces despite having families and dependents of their own.
The union leaders insisted that the government must confirm JSS teachers by January, saying the future of the country depends on the wellbeing of educators.
“Teachers shape every other profession, yet they are the ones being treated the worst. They must be confirmed without delay,” she stressed.
By Our reporter
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