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Kuppet escalates pressure on the government over 44,000 JSS teachers
Junior Secondary School teachers from Nairobi County demonstrate outside the Teachers Service Commission offices on May 13, 2024.
The Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) has increased pressure on the government regarding the status of 44,000 Junior Secondary School (JSS) teachers.
The union is warning of industrial action and possible disruption to learning if the teachers are not immediately offered permanent and pensionable contracts. They are also demanding that the JSS structure be granted autonomy in line with the current curriculum.
Across the North Rift region, union officials have raised concerns over delayed payments by the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC), threatening a boycott of supervision and marking of national examinations.
They insisted that without urgent intervention on employment terms, welfare and structural reforms, including full autonomy for JSS, the education sector risks significant disruption.
In Trans Nzoia County, the union gave the government a seven-day ultimatum to resolve the crisis, citing a court ruling that declared the JSS internship programme illegal. Branch Secretary Mr Daniel Kutai said failure to act would trigger widespread disruption in schools across the country.
“If the government is serious about quality education, then JSS must stand on its own. The curriculum is different, the training is different. Mixing them is a recipe for failure,” he said, while also calling for full autonomy of junior secondary schools.
He further painted a grim picture of teachers struggling under poor healthcare coverage and stalled employment terms, warning that frustration within the profession had reached a breaking point.
The push for reforms is echoed in Turkana, where KUPPET officials led by Executive Secretary Michael Ejikon warned that learning in junior schools could grind to a halt if the government ignores the demands.
His assistant, Mr Samuel Lodunga and JSS Secretary Peter Lokitoe described the continued engagement of teachers under internship terms as unconstitutional and exploitative.
“Forty-four thousand JSS intern teachers are living in deplorable conditions. They lack proper health cover compared to those on permanent and pensionable terms. We want immediate confirmation,” said Mr Lokitoe.
Mr Ejikon warned that the union would not hesitate to lead a nationwide strike if the government fails to respect the Court of Appeal ruling, while Mr Lodunga added that many teachers are unable to meet basic needs despite heavy workloads.
In Baringo County, the message was equally firm. KUPPET branch Executive Secretary Mr Zacharia Nyomboi demanded urgent action, warning of street protests if the government delays.
“The government should fast-track the process and confirm the JSS teachers with immediate effect; failure to which the streets will be our home,” he said during a press briefing in Kabarnet.
Junior school secretary Mr Nicholas Keror added that the internship programme had already been declared unlawful, insisting it should be abolished entirely.
“In fact, we were supposed to be compensated, yet we are still here fighting the same issue. Calling us interns is unconstitutional and wrong. We demand that the Teachers Service Commission comply,” he said.
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