Protesting teachers take to streets across the country as strike paralyses schools

Teachers across the country on Monday defied their employer and took to the streets to demand higher pay as their strike paralysed learning in public schools for the third working day.

From Kisumu to Mombasa, members of the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) and the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) took their protests to the streets to demand that their employer implement a pay increase ordered by the courts.

In Nairobi, their lawyers said in court papers that an application by Teachers Service Commission bosses seeking to have the strike declared illegal should not be entertained until the TSC obeys earlier orders to pay the 50 to 60 per cent pay raise expected to cost Sh17 billion.

“TSC is in contempt of the court’s judgment, and has been cited for contempt of court through its officials,” said Knut’s lawyer, Mr Paul Muite, in the filings ahead of the hearing of the case on Thursday. “Accordingly, until such time as the contempt complained of is purged, TSC ought to be denied audience.”

JOBS 'IN JEOPARDY'

However, the TSC has warned that the teachers taking part in the strike were jeopardising their jobs.

“The union leaders should be sincere enough to let those employees who have boycotted work to know thy have taken a perilous path and they cannot claim protection from the law,” said TSC chief Executive Officer Nancy Macharia.

Last week, the TSC through its lawyer, Mr George Obura, filed an application seeking orders directing teachers to end the strike and return to work. The commission said the court case was a matter of national importance because the strike was affecting both the commission and the millions of children in public primary and secondary schools.

Yesterday, however, a spot check by the Nation established that learning was paralysed in most schools as teachers kept away from class.

In Nairobi, Knut Secretary-General Wilson Sossion flagged off a demonstration by teachers from the union headquarters. He said the teachers were now under the authority of the unions and as such, only the unions would call off the strike.

STRIKE 'UNPROTECTED'

“We are declaring total strike for the remaining days. Until we direct teachers otherwise, there will be total paralysis. No teacher should come close to a school,” Mr Sossion told the teachers.

Teachers Service Commission chairperson Lydia Nzomo had on Saturday ordered all striking staff to be in class by 8 am yesterday or be struck off the payroll after a court declared that the strike was “unprotected”.

National Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich has said the government cannot afford to pay teachers.

In Nandi County, teachers and union leaders stormed Kapsabet Boys High School and reprimanded their colleagues who had reported for work.

The teachers, led by Nandi County Kuppet secretary Paul Rotich, questioned why teaching was going on while teachers were on a countrywide strike.

“Teachers in Nandi County will only resume duty when the Jubilee government agrees to pay them,” said Mr Rotich.

Meanwhile, a group of university students has given the government one week to pay teachers their new salaries or they will join them on the streets.

TSC ROLL CALL

Officials of the Association of Education Students of Kenya, led by chairman John Otao, said it was unfortunate that a government that was brought to power by a Supreme Court ruling was now ignoring court orders.

In western Kenya, the striking teachers asked President Uhuru Kenyatta to cut short his trip to Italy to address their salary stalemate with the government.

They threatened to flush out teachers in private schools to join them in piling pressure on the government to act on the pay row.

“Where is the President? We want him to come back and solve our issues or no learning will take place,” said Mr Mark Oseno, Busia Knut executive secretary.

In Mombasa, county TSC Director Ibrahim Rugut began taking a roll call of teachers who had not reported to school since the strike started.

Mombasa Woman Representative Mishi Mboko joined the striking teachers in a demonstration as classrooms remained deserted.

Reported By Abiud Ochieng, Maryanne Gicobi, Tom Matoke, Duncan Ageta and Rebecca Okwany