The Kenya Junior School Teachers Association (KEJUSTA) has issued a strongly worded warning to teachers nationwide, urging them not to elect individuals it accuses of undermining the struggle for Junior Secondary School (JSS) autonomy. The association framed the message as a call for accountability within the teaching fraternity amid ongoing agitation for better representation and working conditions for JSS teachers.
In a statement signed by Interim National Chairperson Okil Okil, KEJUSTA claimed that several teachers recently stripped of union membership and placed under agency status are the same individuals who opposed the push for JSS autonomy and allegedly aligned with interests hostile to JSS teachers. The association said these actions amounted to betrayal of collective efforts to secure autonomy and stronger advocacy for junior school educators.
KEJUSTA asserted that some of the teachers it labels as “sellouts and traitors” have already faced political and professional setbacks, citing decisive defeats in Narok and Mombasa counties. It added that similar outcomes are anticipated in Nairobi, Murang’a, Busia, Kwale and other regions, describing the trend as a clear signal that teachers who undermine collective struggles will ultimately face rejection.
“Revelation has it that most of the teachers who have been stripped of union membership and placed in agency mode are the same individuals who sided with the oppressors of JSS teachers,” the statement read, insisting that accountability for actions perceived as contrary to JSS interests is inevitable. KEJUSTA maintained that the push for autonomy remains a core issue for junior school teachers and warned that those who opposed it should not expect support from the teaching fraternity.
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The association urged teachers to be vigilant during elections and decision-making processes, calling on them not to reward individuals it believes worked against JSS autonomy.
“We call upon all teachers: do not elect the sellouts who were against JSS autonomy. Wembe ni ule ule,” the statement concluded.
The remarks come amid continued agitation by JSS teachers for autonomy, stronger representation and improved working conditions, issues that have remained contentious within the education sector.
By Philip Koech
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