Knut finally calls off strike as Kaimenyi orders primary schools closed

Teachers on Wednesday ended their 24-day work boycott hours after public primary schools were closed indefinitely.

The teachers will return to class with a Sh16.2 billion deal for their commuter, responsibility and reader allowances, as had earlier been agreed between them and the government.

The payout will be made in two phases — Sh5.7 billion will be released immediately and the rest in the next financial year. This will see the lowest and the highest paid teachers take home Sh4,000 and Sh16,000 every month in commuter allowances.

The agreement also stipulates that the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) will pay out the teachers’ June salaries on Thursday.

TSC will also withdraw the contempt of court case against Knut officials, whose ruling was to be made on Monday next week.

“We have assessed the government offer over time and we are satisfied that we have put in place proper mechanisms through engagement... With that in mind, the National Executive Council has now authorised the secretary-general to call off the strike,” Kenya National Union of Teachers chairman Wilson Sossion said.

The call came soon after Education Secretary Jacob Kaimenyi declared public primary schools closed indefinitely.

Knut officials were meeting with Deputy President William Ruto at the time Prof Kaimenyi made the declaration.

“The government cannot enter into any negotiations that are not guided by law… that will be cheating you,” Mr Ruto told the teachers, adding: “We want to negotiate in a structured manner so that the agreement is honoured irrespective of who is in office.”

Eight Knut officials, led by Mr Sossion and secretary-general Mudzo Nzili, had paid Mr Ruto a visit at his offices.

“The deal you have been given by the TSC on commuter allowance cannot be added or reduced… we are operating within a very tight budget,” Mr Ruto added.

After the meeting, the unionists proceeded to their offices in Nairobi where they called off the strike.

But Prof Kaimenyi, when reached on the phone soon after the strike was called off, said public primary schools would still remain closed.

“The government hereby orders the closure of all public primary schools indefinitely, aware that primary school teachers continue to participate in an illegal and unconstitutional strike having refused to comply with legal directives of the Teachers Service Commission,” he had earlier said.

By the time of going to press, there were indications that the government would make a statement to review the closure of the schools.

Mr Sossion scoffed at the move, saying, it was not a solution to the teachers’ crisis, which stems from an agreement signed during former President Daniel arap Moi’s regime 16 years ago.

“Closing schools does not make a difference,” Mr Sossion said, adding: “After all, the schools have been closed since teachers went on strike.”

Public schools were expected to be closed early next month for the August holidays.

Prof Kaimenyi said secondary schools would remain open until the end of the term.

However, Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association vice-chairman Indimuli Kahi said that teachers had not resumed duty since the signing of the agreement between the government and Kuppet on Thursday last week.

“Teachers have kept away from schools, and some are also members of Knut. As we speak, there is no learning taking place,” Mr Kahi said.

Mr Kahi, who is the Chavakali High School principal, said candidates sitting this year’s national exams would be at a disadvantage compared to their counterparts in the private schools.
The association urged the government to engage the union leaders once and for all to enable the suffering children go back to class.

Primary schools heads equally supported the move to end the strike.

“The fight we are having is not assisting the learning and the time lost will not be gained,” Kenya Primary Schools Heads Association chairman Joseph Karuga said.

But Prof Kaimenyi said: “The government assures all class eight pupils, parents and the public that adequate arrangements have been made to address the situation with respect to their Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) exams.”

However, he did not explain what these “adequate measures” were.

Ms Sabina Chege, who chairs the Education Committee in the National Assembly, told the Nation the closure could be an official way to tell parents to keep their children at home and reduce the risk of having them at school unsupervised.

But Ugenya MP David Ouma was of a contrary view. “That is very reckless by the government. You don’t punish children because you’re not agreeing with teachers,” he said.