Teachers may soon collapse their respective unions into a giant federation to consolidate and strengthen their numbers in articulate their interest, if proposal by the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) sails through.
KNUT Executive Secretary Collins Henry Oyuu recently revealed plans to incorporate the Sister Union, the Kenya National Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) in the formation of a Federation of teachers in Kenya.
Addressing teachers during the Teso Branch 18th Annual General Meeting at KNUT Hall in Amagoro, KNUT SG Collins Oyuu, noted that operating under one umbrella will make the federation strong thus making easier to advocate for teacher’s issues.
“Way back when we had one union, we were very powerful and we could champion for teacher’s issues easily. We must cross examine ourselves and reciprocate East Africa Teachers federation which champions for issues affecting teachers in unisom,” noted Oyuu.
The Knut Executive Secretary said the legal notice 534 of 1997 signed by Kenya’s second president, the late Daniel Arap Moi, had given teacher’s salary increments, but which was not implemented.
” It’s as a result of this painful challenge that we have opted to form a Federation that must be supported by all unions in the country,” he said.
” The only way forward for teachers in Kenya is to seek one frontier in a bid to have one single Federation for teachers,” Oyuu noted.
He said Knut called for industrial action because of the failure by the TSC to implement the second phase of the 2024-2025 collective bargaining agreement.
Oyuu said teachers are suffering, with young teachers going a notch higher in borrowing their savings, noting that mental illness in classrooms is caused by borrowing.
He also called for the promotion of 130,000 teachers and to some local banks to effect remittance of third-party deductions.
The sentiments which were echoed by Teso South Member of Parliament Mary Emaase said there was a need to motivate teachers who need employment, noting that employment is their biggest challenge.
She said there was urgent need by the Teachers Service Commission to absorb all interns and to employ 20,000 teachers to reduce the current deficit.
“TSC should also employ teachers on first come, first service basis in order to adhere to fairness. She also urged TSC not to post teachers to remote schools, especially ladies noting that such teachers become demoralized
The MP also urged the national treasury to pay retirees their benefits instead of travelling to Nairobi, warning it of amorphous deductions of Ksh 200.
The fifth branch Executive Secretary Geoffrey Ekasiba said the current membership in TB stands at 1500 through the branch has over 2,000 teachers ì.e Teso North, Teso South, and Teso Central.
Ekasiba said delocalization of teachers that TSC introduced had doubled separation of families, increased mpango wa kando, and more family breakage, adding that teachers who have requested to go back to where they call home haven’t been given that chance.
The Executive Secretary said schools are understaffed with a deficit of teachers in the branch totalling 340, adding that JSS teachers are overworked, some even forced to teach what they didn’t train.
” It’s painful to note that the spirit of sexual abuse on our pupils is hovering around our institutions,” he said, adding that cases of absenteeism and drunkardness are increasing within our institutions.
By Absalom Namwalo
