Written By Lisa Murimi
The Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) on Friday issued a seven-day strike notice, demanding that the government fulfill promises made to teachers.
Speaking to the press, Secretary General Akelo Misori called for the immediate disbursement of funds, including those for the teachers’ medical scheme.
Misori urged President William Ruto’s administration to honor the 2022-2023 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) previously reached.
He accused the government of careless expenditure and urged it to cut spending to pay teachers.
The union claimed that the decision by President Ruto to withdraw the Finance Bill would severely affect the education sector.
“KUPPET rejects the notion perpetuated through the media that these projects have been affected by the withdrawal of the Finance Bill 2024,” Misori stated.
“The government’s goal should be to eliminate wastage in its operations, not to withdraw benefits from workers.”
The government was urged to cut down on Members of Parliament’s salaries and use the savings to fund the education sector.
“MPs claim they don’t want a salary increase, yet their total compensation is nearly 1.5 million,” KUPPET leaders argued. “Meanwhile, teachers earn only a fraction of that.”
KUPPET also demanded that all 46,000 intern teachers be employed on a permanent and pensionable basis by the start of next month.
They insisted that intern teachers should receive their confirmation letters and their July salaries by next week.
