Uncertainty as teachers insist on striking

The possibility of schools reopening on Monday remained uncertain after teachers on Saturday said they would proceed with their planned strike in defiance of a court order stopping it on Friday.

The teachers unions, Kenya National Union of Teachers and Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers, have refused to call off the strike expected to delay opening of schools for the third term. This is a scenario that would put candidates in a difficult position considering that they have a few days to prepare for their forthcoming examinations.

National union chairman Wilson Sossion on Saturday insisted that they were not ready to budge on their demands yet, as various branches around the country voiced their support for the strike.

“We have not changed our position. We are going on strike and no one can intimidate us,” Mr Sossion said on the phone.

He said they had not been served with the industrial court order and would not have been intimidated by it had they received it.

“These are government ways to try to intimidate us. The court order should have been served seven days to the strike. It has now been overtaken by events,” the chairman added.

The teachers have on several occasions scheduled their strike in third term perhaps in a bid to push the government to urgently act on their demands to avoid derailing candidates  preparing to sit their national examinations.

On Friday, the Teachers’ Service Commission obtained orders from the court restraining the teachers. The commission said the unions’ action was unconstitutional considering that the new law, the TSC Act, guiding the teachers’ employers was yet to be implemented.

Education minister Mutula Kilonzo two weeks ago said the Act, when fully implemented, would empower the commission to deal with the teachers’ concerns.

However, in another twist, some parents went to court on Friday to seek urgent orders to stop the industrial action arguing that their children, who will be examined towards the end of the school year, would be adversely affected.

Ms Vallerie Wafula and Ms Susan Muhoro asked the industrial court to bar Knut and Kuppet from asking their members to stay at home until their case was heard and determined.

Kenya National Association of Parents secretary-general Musau Ndunda said they were yet to study the grievances presented to court by the two parents.

However, he said that the two were within their rights as citizens to go to court.