- The Employment and Labour Relations Court has directed KUNOPPET and the West Pokot County Government to file submissions within seven and 14 days, respectively.
- The parties have been scheduled to return to court on October 16, 2026, to fix a date for the ruling, not to receive the ruling itself.
- The dispute has centred on ECDE teachers’ remuneration structure, with potential salary arrears to be determined based on the court’s eventual findings.
West Pokot ECDE teachers are now closer to a judicial determination of their long-running remuneration dispute after the Employment and Labour Relations Court in Kitale gave KUNOPPET seven days to file its submissions and the West Pokot County Government 14 days to respond.
The parties will return to court on October 16, 2026, to take or fix a date for the ruling. The date should therefore not be reported as the ruling date itself.
The matter was handled by Lady Justice Maureen Onyango at the Employment and Labour Relations Court in Kitale. KUNOPPET was represented by Secretary-General Samuel Opiyo, while the West Pokot County Government was represented by its Solicitor, Philip Magal.
The latest directions establish a clear procedural sequence: KUNOPPET has seven days to lodge its submissions, followed by 14 days for the county government to make its submission. The parties will then appear on October 16 for directions on the date of the ruling.
The Pay Dispute
At the heart of the case is the remuneration of ECDE teachers employed by the West Pokot County Government, including the implementation of applicable salary structures and allowances. The remuneration arrangements reported in connection with the dispute provide different basic salaries according to qualification, with house and commuter allowances forming part of the package and hardship allowance applying where the relevant conditions are met. (See accompanying table for the full breakdown by qualification.)
The significance of the case extends beyond monthly basic salaries. Any difference between what teachers were actually paid and what they may ultimately be found to have been entitled to under the applicable remuneration arrangement could result in arrears, depending on the court’s determination of the effective dates, applicable terms and amounts already paid. The arrears question should therefore be treated as a matter for judicial determination rather than as an already established county liability.
With both sides now required to place their submissions before the court within specified timelines, the dispute has entered a critical procedural stage. For ECDE teachers who have followed the remuneration dispute over a prolonged period, the eventual ruling will be significant in determining the legal position on the contested pay arrangements and any financial consequences that may flow from the court’s findings.
By Hillary Muhalya
Get more stories from our website: Education News
To write to us or offer feedback, you can reach us at: editor@educationnews.co.ke
You can also follow our social media pages on Twitter: Education News KE and Facebook: Education News Newspaper for timely updates.
>> Click here to stay up-to-date with trending regional stories
