Teachers aligned to the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) have renewed pressure on the State to fast-track the implementation of pending labour agreements, especially the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
They said these issues remain unsettled despite earlier commitments.
They warned that continued delays could heighten unrest within the education sector, as teachers grow increasingly dissatisfied with what they describe as stalled progress on negotiated terms.
Addressing members during union elections in Trans Nzoia County, KUPPET National Vice Chair Julius Korir insisted that the CBA must be urgently streamlined into two components, in line with assurances reportedly made by President William Ruto during a meeting at State House, Nairobi, last December.
Korir faulted the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) for what he termed as slow movement in operationalising the agreement, arguing that teachers anticipated concrete steps following the high-level discussions.
The union also raised concerns over the transition of teachers to the Social Health Authority (SHA) medical scheme. According to KUPPET, the new system has presented challenges, with reports emerging that some teachers were denied services at facilities that previously honoured their former medical cover.
Korir cited a recent road accident in Nairobi in which affected teachers were allegedly turned away from certain hospitals, intensifying educators’ anxiety about the reliability of the new scheme.
The union also requested clarity and independence in the administration of Junior Secondary School (JSS) education.
Korir also highlighted persistent frustrations around career progression, noting that numerous teachers have remained in the same job grades for extended periods without promotion opportunities.
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Additionally, KUPPET renewed its demand for the absorption of approximately 20,000 teacher interns into permanent and pensionable terms, describing the prolonged internship framework as inequitable for young educators entering the profession.
Teachers want the CBA to be reduced to two, as the President assured us during the State House meeting. We also want JSS administration to have independence and autonomy, while addressing the challenges being experienced under the SHA medical scheme, where some teachers are reportedly being turned away from hospitals,” Korir said.
The government must also address promotion stagnation and teacher employment. Many teachers have remained in the same job groups for years, and we are calling for the 20,000 intern teachers to be absorbed into permanent and pensionable employment,” he added.
KUPPET further signalled that failure by the government to respond adequately could push the union to consider industrial action as a last resort. Nevertheless, leaders emphasised that engagement and dialogue with the new union leadership remain their preferred path toward resolving the outstanding disputes affecting the teaching fraternity.
By Joseph Mambili
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