Growing mental health crisis, financial strain, delays in teachers’ promotions, lack of hardship allowances, poor medical insurance for teachers and drug and substance abuse are among the thorny issues that dominated the Taita Taveta Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Annual General Meeting (AGM) held at Sino Girls’, Mwatate Sub-County in Taita Taveta County.
Speaking on Saturday during the AGM, Lenox Mshila, the KNUT Executive Secretary for Taita Taveta stated that a number of teachers in the county are grappling with a growing mental health crisis, compounded by financial strain and substance abuse. He painted a grim picture of teachers overwhelmed by financial burdens, leading to mental health issues, drug use, and, in extreme cases, death.
“We have observed that mental health challenge is a pressing reality among the teachers in the county. It is with deep concern that we have lost several teachers as observed through cases of desertion, increased drug and substance usage, unspecified illness, unnecessary financial strains and to some level of death,” said Mshila.
He urged his fellow educators to act as “brothers’ keepers” and seek internal solutions, while calling for more robust mental health support systems to tackle these rising concerns.
“This alarming trend underscores the urgent need for comprehensive mental health support systems for teachers as they face the increasing pressures in their professional and personal lives,” he said.
Mshila emphasized the importance of teacher welfare programs, urging educators to actively participate in them instead of criticizing from the sidelines. He noted that this could be the avenues where teachers can could get support in times of need that would otherwise help in averting these cases.
He however warned the welfare leadership stating, “As welfare leaders, kindly purpose to do what the intention of that welfare entails. Kindly purpose to do that. Welfare should not be there to fight others. These are not political parties. Remember, welfares should be embraced and if the union say these welfares should be removed, they can be removed. But because they help us and we know their aim, please let’s use them well.”
Mshila also highlighted the struggles faced by Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) teachers, demanding their full integration into the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) for equal promotion opportunities and benefits.
“We want them also to be members of TSC so that when promotions are there, everybody is taken equally especially those in the public schools. This is a national demand because when we are speaking in Taita Taveta it has already been addressed in other AGMs nationally,” he added.
Laura Mwaila, an anti-drug campaigner, researcher and award winner in substance abuse, and who has reached more than 3500 students in Taita Taveta County for counseling, shared alarming statistics, revealing that 40% of teachers are suffering from mental health issues.
She stressed that teachers’ challenges often go beyond the classroom, with some even implicated in student substance abuse cases. Mwaila urged teachers to be role models, as students often mimic their behaviors, and called for personal transformation among teachers as part of the solution to the crisis.
“We have to make a change. We have to decide whether we want to change because if we don’t decide that we want to change, the same thing happens. That’s why we have cases of teachers that went for rehabilitation and then they relapse,” explained Mwaila.
Former KNUT Trustee, James Mwasambwa, echoed these concerns, warning that unresolved issues such as the delay in hardship allowances contribute to the stress teachers endure.
He highlighted that some 286 teachers in Taita Taveta have been overlooked for promotions due to their affiliation with KNUT, an oversight he called unfair.
“It is so sad when teachers stand here to say 286 teachers could not be promoted because they remained with the union,” said Mwasambwa urging the KNUT leadership to ensure that justice is done to the teachers.
Mwasambwa lauded the union leadership for their strategic handling of recent negotiations that lead to the union calling of their strike but warned that unless these grievances are addressed, teachers would continue to face undue hardships, further exacerbating mental health issues.
On her part, Rosalia Mkanjala, KNUT’s Assistant Secretary General, emphasized the critical role of unity among teachers. Citing the 1997 strike, she reminded teachers that solidarity is the bedrock of any successful movement.
“KNUT used to be one of the strongest unions. It is still strong. Currently we have KUPPET, KUSNET, it is important that as teachers we join the main stream union which is KNUT,” she stated.
Mkanjala encouraged teachers to consider investing for their retirement stating that currently, it takes longer time before a retired teacher can receive their retirement benefits.
She urged teachers to join saccos and grow their shares which they can then use to put up investments rather than relying on retirement benefits.
“Join Saccos for your investment. By the time you are retiring, the money saved will be enough to assist you as a teacher to do any kind of investment. In short, teachers, I’m saying this, let’s have a side hustle,” added Mkanjala.
Meanwhile, KNUT’s Assistant National Treasurer, Kullow Sheikh Mohammed, highlighted the union’s diplomatic strategy, focusing on negotiations rather than confrontational activism. His speech underscored the union’s success in converting 46,000 intern teachers to permanent positions, a significant win for teacher stability.
“The number of teachers which we wanted to be recruited was the 146,000. The recruitment I think is on and is about to be summarized. But we still think that is a drop in the ocean and that is why we always demanding for more teachers with the new the issue of CBC you have seen grade 9 is coming and that is why we are saying we need more teachers,” he explained.
Kullow also called for more aggressive teacher recruitment to meet the demands of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) and pressed for a revision of the KNUT-TSC recognition agreement to ensure timely disbursement of pensions and benefits to retired teachers.
“We have made it officially to the Teacher Service Commission that in the past because of the problem between us and the TSC, they have watered down on our recognition agreements. So, we have written to them and we are sitting with them very soon and we are going to make sure that our KNUT-TSC recognition agreement is renewed,” he added.
In addressing financial grievances, Kullow raised the issue of unauthorized deductions from teachers’ pay slips for unions they had not joined. He noted that this, alongside the need for more job security and benefits, required collective action and solidarity to safeguard teachers’ rights.
Taita Taveta Senator, Jones Mwaruma, added his voice to the call for fair treatment, expressing shock at the resumption of deductions by the Kenya Women Teachers Association (KEWOTA) despite a directive to halt them.
Mwaruma vowed to address this issue in the Senate, calling on TSC Secretary Nancy Macharia to explain the matter.
“When I get back to Senate on Tuesday, I will write a statement again so that the TSC secretary Nancy Macharia can explain why after KEWOTA) was stopped from deducting money from teachers, it is still there. The first step of stopping it was done and now we were working on the second step which is refunding. before they refund, they have already started deducting teachers their money again,” He explained.
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The Senator also raised the plight of teachers in hard-to-reach areas like Taveta, Rong’e, and Wundanyi, where hardship allowances have yet to be implemented despite recommendations from a 2018 task force report.
In a bid to promote continuous professional development, Mwaruma advocated for teachers’ access to bursaries, highlighting the work of the Jones Mwaruma Foundation, which currently supports over 100 teachers pursuing diplomas and degrees. He emphasized the need for teachers to further their education, especially in light of the challenges posed by the CBC.
“I have done this because of the shortage of teachers. As we speak, I have over 50 teachers doing diploma in Vihiga. I have 62 teachers here in Taita Taveta University doing their degrees in teaching. If God gives us life, by 2028, there will be 62 degrees graduating through Jones Mwaruma Foundation,” Mwaruma added.
Patrick Chakuza, the TSC representative from Wundanyi Sub-County, acknowledged the difficulties teachers face in remote areas like Vuria, Lumbinyi, and Mwangea stating that many teachers are requesting transfers out of these regions due to the lack of proper infrastructure and support, a trend Chakuza said could be reversed through closer collaboration between unions and political leaders.
The KNUT leadership, supported by union and political figures, emphasized the urgent need for solutions to alleviate the growing burdens on teachers in Taita Taveta and across Kenya. The call for unity, personal change, and collective action echoed strongly, as teachers strive for better working conditions and recognition in their vital role in the education sector.
Dan Aloo, the National Trustee for KNUT criticized the current system for teacher promotions stating that teachers in coastal regions including Taita Taveta, are not getting fair treatment.
“We have resolved from this AGM that promotion is something that we are being played on with. I’m a trustee and I travel a lot; on promotion we are being looked down on. In other places I’m seeing people are given 10,000 or 5000 and in coast we are given 4000 to share. We want our people to get promotions,” said Aloo.
He advocated for a significant raise in the salary of the lowest-paid teacher, calling for a starting salary of Sh. 100,000 for diploma trained teachers.
Pointing on the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) 2025-2029, Aloo outlined the union’s goal to ensure that all teachers start at a higher pay grade, insisting that diploma-trained teachers should nolonger be placed in lower job groups like C1, C2 OR C3.
“We don’t want C1, C2, and C3. Those are job groups for those who are not trained. Teachers are trained,” he noted.
The meeting saw the attendance of KNUT officials from all the counties in the coastal region including officials from Kinango, Kilindini, Kilifi, Mombasa, Tana River, Kwale, Msambweni, Malindi, Kaloleni with only Lamu branch missing with apology.
By Michael Oduor
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