By Hezron Roy
Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) officials have today met the Education Cabinet Secretary (CS) Hon. Ezekiel Machogu at his Jogoo House office.
It becomes the first teacher Union to engage the new CS on matters education.
Hitherto, they have raised a number of issues requiring the CS’s action to address its members’ grievances and ensure the smooth running of schools, with Machogu promising to arrange for a comprehensive meeting to tackle issues of common interest and reach an understanding and partnership.
Key among them issues discussed was the re-opening of the non-monetary 2021-2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), where the Secretary General (SG) Akelo Misori told the CS they were already negotiating with Teachers Service Commission (TSC) and required his support.
“We are negotiating with the TSC on this and we expect the Kenya Kwanza government to support our quest, having promised to raise teachers’ salaries,” said Misori, a position that was supported by the Union National Chairman Hon. Omboko Milemba, who is also Emuhaya Member of Parliament (MP).
“The established practice in our democratic governance since 2002 is that every President has given teachers something. President Uhuru Kenyatta gave us the CBA of Ksh54 billion. We know what we want from this administration and President William Ruto should be prepared to give it to us,” said Milemba.
On the CBC transition, the Union urged Machogu to provide the necessary legal guidance for a smooth transition to Junior Secondary School (JSS). This is because the Presidential Working Party on Education Reform will not complete its work in time for the transition of current Grade 6 pupils.
The CS said, however, that the working party will provide guidance on the issue in a preliminary report to the President this December, 2022.
KUPPET also wants Machogu to take back 3,780 teachers serving in tertiary institutions from the Public Service Commission (PSC) to Teachers Service Commission (TSC).
In March 2019, the Labour Court nullified the teachers’ transfers as unconstitutional and illegal. It held that TSC is the only constitutionally mandated employer of teachers, and cannot transfer the employment of teachers to any other institution.
KUPPET noted that following the transfers, the trainers were left out of the fourth phase of CBA increments, and most have stagnated in their previous positions.
This is despite their salary benefits being duly provided for in the 2018/2019 and 2019/2020 budgets. Some who have retired now expect to receive fewer pensions than they deserve under the CBA.
Another issue that was discussed during the meeting is teachers’ concern about the ministry withholding co-curricular activity funds, which were previously managed by schools without any hitches, and further urged the CS to ensure that the disbursement of capitation funds is made more efficient and reflect the current price levels in the economy.
The CS pledged to work closely with teacher Unions in tackling issues bedeviling the education sector, adding that his extensive experience in public administration and effective political leadership has prepared him well for the appointment to one of the most challenging ministerial dockets in Kenya.
