Akello Misori Convenes KUPPET Crisis Meeting Amid Mounting Pressure from Strike Controversy.
The Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) has scheduled a National Governing Council (NGC) meeting in an attempt to resolve growing differences within its membership following the contentious decision to call off a one-week strike.
Teachers and branch officials across the nation strongly disagreed with the decision to halt the strike, which the NGC had approved to go on.
There has been a tremendous deal of blowback from this decision, with numerous branch leaders expressing dissatisfaction and demanding answers from the National Executive Board (NEB).
Kuppet Secretary-General Akelo Misori acknowledged the backlash and urged members to remain composed while the union gets ready for the NGC meeting, which will cover the topics dividing it. Misori requested this in an internal message to members on Wednesday.
Omboko Milemba, the union’s national chairman, has suffered a loss, leading to the postponement of the meeting originally scheduled for this week.
It is now anticipated to happen in the upcoming week.
Intensely charged
Mr. Misori claims that following the cancellation of the strike, some branch executive secretaries delivered speeches at “highly charged press conferences castigating the NEB decision.”
Mr. Misori acknowledged the importance of political positioning but cautioned that some comments were excessive. He noted that the NGC would soon consider the NEB’s decision, and he described the strike as a pivotal moment for KUPPET. He urged for a sober reflection on the event and thoughtful planning for the future, concluding his message with a call for solidarity.
Many educators have requested explanations from the NEB, viewing the sudden termination of the strike as a betrayal of their joint efforts to enhance educators’ welfare.
Following the decision, there has also been a rift among NEB members, with some claiming that certain executives had abandoned the organization in order to pressure the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to improve teacher welfare.
Deputy Treasurer Ronald Tonui, Secretary for Secondary Schools Edward Obwocha, Secretary for Tertiary Institutions Sammy Chelanga, and Woman Representative Catherine Wambilianga were among the NEB members who reportedly opposed the cancellation of the strike without establishing a formal return-to-work formula.
Mr. Tonui left certain NEB members out of the crucial meeting with TSC officials.
He confirmed that a NEB member had informed others that directives from higher authorities had led to their exclusion from the negotiations. Consequently, the team of union representatives that met with TSC officials on Monday excluded several officials, including Mr. Chelanga, Mr. Obwocha, and himself.
Absence of Return to Work Formula
He stated that he insisted on receiving a copy of the meeting’s press release because he thought it ought to have contained a formal return-to-work protocol.
“I personally pressed for signing of the media briefing by the parties as we await formal consent which captures the return to work formula. The Commission was not willing to give us a copy but I insisted and we got it,” Mr Tonui explained to the officials and members of the union.
Mr. Obwocha, for his part, criticized the procedure, alleging that instructors had been underpaid and that the deal inked was not a suitable return-to-work formula.
Mr. Obwocha refuted claims of a signed return-to-work formula, asserting the absence of such an agreement. He clarified that the secretary-general had only signed a press statement, an inaccurately presented legal document. “Show me the return-to-work formula document as we know it. There is none,” he asserted.
While Mr. Misori, the puppet secretary-general, and Mr. Julius Korir, the vice chairman, signed the agreement on behalf of the union, TSC Chief Executive Officer Nancy Macharia did so on behalf of the commission. Omboko Milemba, the national chairman, was gone attending to a bereavement.
“Why did you force the NGC to support the strike’s continuation when it was clearly going to end this way? A member of the NEB, who wished to remain anonymous, pondered, “This is a betrayal of the teachers’ training and an anti-climax.”
Request an explanation
Branch executive secretaries are requesting a comprehensive explanation from the NEB in reaction to the internal unrest, claiming the ruling jeopardizes the union’s reputation and undercuts the teachers’ fight for justice.
They are Orwa Jasolo from Migori, Mr. Justus Kimeu from Makeuni, Mr. Moses Kimwere from Isiolo, and Mr. William Lengoyiap from Samburu.
Mr. Jasolo stated that Mr. Misori should take full responsibility for the situation, citing a clear disconnect from the realities faced by teachers and a significant misjudgment of their strong resolve.
He went on to say that the union’s leadership had put them in this situation and insisted that they must take responsibility for the loss of momentum in their ongoing fight for justice.
The implementation of the second phase of the 2025–2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) at a cost of Sh13.3 billion and the hiring of 46,000 intern teachers on permanent and pensionable terms at a cost of Sh18.5 billion were among the main demands that prompted the initial call for a strike.
The union also demanded the promotion of 130,000 teachers who had successfully completed promotion interviews and improvements to the comprehensive medical coverage, which required Sh6 billion.
As Kuppet called off the strike on Monday, Dr. Macharia said, “As promised on August 21, 2021, the commission is today pleased to confirm that the government has provided funds for implementation of the second phase of the CBA with effect from July 1, 2024.”
Dr. Macharia stated, “In particular, we duly paid the second phase of the CBA, which was due on July 1, 2024, along with arrears.”
Akello Misori Convenes KUPPET Crisis Meeting Amid Mounting Pressure from Strike Controversy.
