The Kenya National Union of Port Primary School Teachers has raised an alarm over unresolved challenges in the education sector, warning that they may resort to industrial action if their concerns are not addressed.
Union chairman and Emuhaya MP, Omboko Milemba, said the government must urgently deal with issues affecting Junior School (JS) teachers, including employment, autonomy, promotions, and allowances.
“Currently, we have the challenge of interns being confirmed as permanent and pensionable. But in the same Junior School, we also have teachers who want autonomy. We want to bury our heads in the sand as leaders, but I am not burying mine. The Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba and other players are not speaking to that,” said Mr Milemba.
He argued that JS teachers are pushing for autonomy because, legally, there is no provision for “comprehensive schools.”
According to the union leader, the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) framework clearly outlines Early Childhood Development Education, primary, junior school, senior school, and university as distinct levels.
“We must be a country that operates under the rule of law. Junior School needs to be consolidated and recognized as an independent institution,” he said.
UDA Deputy Secretary-General Omboko Milemba.
Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group
“Independence doesn’t mean building new classrooms. At the university, the school of education operates under a dean, with a deputy dean and heads of departments. That is the way we should go to ensure quality. Currently, exams are being bought in the streets,” he lamented.
The union leader also revisited the Sh38 billion collective bargaining agreement (CBA), which was initially spread across four phases. He revealed that after meeting President William Ruto, they were promised the CBA would be paid in two phases.
“That is something we shall be tagging along moving forward. As he gets his two terms, we also get our two phases,” Milemba said.
On promotions, the union expressed dissatisfaction with the recent exercise, saying the numbers were far below expectations. Teachers had been promised a minimum of 50,000 promotions, but the actual figure fell short.
“We are following up on that. We also have the issue of Career Progression Guidelines (CPG), which are stagnating teachers in terms of promotions. That is on the table, alongside hardship allowance. We also have teachers continuously acting in ASAL areas as deputies without being paid the required remuneration. They are not receiving acting or responsibility allowances,” Mr Milemba said.
He noted that the National Assembly has stepped in to address the exploitation of teachers who act indefinitely without compensation. A proposed law, now at the third reading stage, stipulates that a teacher should only act for six months. Beyond that, they must be paid acting and responsibility allowances.
“I want to thank parliamentarians because they are really assisting teachers. This was a hurdle and a serious exploitation,” he said.
Mr Milemba warned that if the government fails to meet the union’s demands, including confirming interns, implementing the CBA in two phases, and ensuring Social Health Insurance works for teachers, they will cross the “red line.”
“If the threshold of all those things I have mentioned is not met, then we are going to the red line. For instance, if the CBA is not paid in two phases, interns are not confirmed, and Social Health Insurance is not working for teachers, my friend, we cross,” he declared.
The union insists that these issues form the bare minimum for teachers to continue working without disruption.
