The teachers criticized the achievements of Cabinet Secretary George Magoha and suggested he should build on his legacy. The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) and the Kenya Union of Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) have responded to Magoha’s concerns about salary demands.
KNUT Secretary General Collins Oyuu said Magoha’s role in the ministry was policy formulation, school construction and the implementation of the Competency-Based Curriculum. Oyuu said Magoha has a lot of work to do and should refrain from commenting on salary complaints. KUPPET colleague Akelo Missouri said that teachers have suffered the consequences of the pandemic, which has increased the cost of living.
Missouri says teachers are entitled to public sector pay increases from 2022 to 2025, which they lost last year because of the pandemic.
He said the union had strong assurances, including a formal commitment from the Council, that these issues would be resolved through appropriate governance procedures. Therefore, it is irresponsible to distinguish between trade agreements that do not participate in Magohan’s opinion. He said talks between the union and the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) had broken down due to interference from other parties.
The teachers want a 60% pay rise and ask the TSC to amend the Collective Agreement for 2021-2025. According to the CBA, the 60% salary increase is to be implemented immediately for 300,000 workers and will see the lowest paid teacher receive Ksh38,800, up from Ksh14,550.
Magoha called the request ridiculous and claimed that the government spent more than the requested amount. He revealed that the government currently spends 25.9 percent of the entire budget on education and criticized the teachers’ union for thinking and making policies on issues that affect members.
