The Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) top brass have today met President William Ruto amid a cash crisis that has hit the branches.
Led by the union Secretary General Akelo Misori and the National Chairman Omboko Milemba, who is Emuhaya MP, the agenda of the meeting was around the welfare of teachers and general development issues.
However, in a guarded statement released this evening, the union Secretary General Akelo Misori confirmed that the National Executive Board held a consultative meeting with President Ruto at State House Nairobi, where they briefed him on important issues in the education sector and the welfare and working conditions of teachers in public service.
Misori stated that the union sought the President’s support for its current programmes, including negotiations for a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) for the 2025-2029 cycle.
“We expressed our gratitude for the TSC’s successful implementation of the Court Consent/Return-to-Work Formula signed between KUPPET and the Commission on 5th Sept 2024. We noted that the employer had delivered on most of its commitments under the Consent, such as the full implementation of the 2021-2025 CBA; the confirmation of 46,000 JSS teachers into permanent and pensionable positions; provisions for the Teachers Medical Scheme; the employment of 20,000 new teachers; the repeal of Career Progression Guidelines; and lastly the promotion of 45,000 teachers – all within two months of signing the Consent,” said Misori in the statement.
The union also appealed to the President to ensure the TSC’s access to more funds for the promotion of all 130,000 stagnated teachers, the employment of more teachers to bridge the deficit, and a review of teachers’ housing, leave and commuter allowances, among other priorities.
“President Ruto reiterated his open door policy and partnership with education sector stakeholders including teachers’ unions. Recalling his two previous meetings with the KUPPET leadership, the President assured the union of the high premium he attaches to stakeholder engagement and urged KUPPET to support the government in delivering its flagship projects,” said Misori.
Besides bilateral issues, the President briefed the union on the government’s priorities including the housing development project to which teachers are a major contributor under the Housing Levy.
Misori noted in the statement that the NEB members visited the Mukuru Housing Project, one of 140 sites across the country comprising of 14,000 housing units, adding that the union will explore ways for Nairobi teachers to benefit from the project.
Meanwhile, a number of branch executive secretaries have constantly complained of threats and demand notices by landlords over rent arrears, as well as inability to pay their staff. This is after TSC stopped deducting union dues from teachers.
As the meeting ended, TSC has not deducted the dues from August, September and now October teachers’ payslips for onward transmission to the union for disbursement to all branches for salaries and operations. Executive Secretaries also get their salaries from these remittances.
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The crisis took another twist when TSC also cut off contributions to the Burial Benevolent Fund (BBF) that teachers make monthly.
The standoff relates to the radical stand the union took in August concerning the strike that their counterpart KNUT cancelled before day one of the industrial action, but KUPPET carried on with the strike despite the employer meeting halfway some of the demands.
The defiance must have angered TSC, which made good the threat to cut off the funds flow.
The meeting with Ruto also comes at a time the union is threatening to boycott the marking of this year’s KCSE if the Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) won’t increase their pay package.
By Education News reporter
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