Order From Above That Led KUPPET to End Teachers’ Strike in TSC Talks. The Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) officially ended the tutors’ strike following a week of interruptions to secondary school study across the country. The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT), the union’s sister organization, accepted a similar offer that the union had rejected a fortnight earlier, leading to the latter canceling their strike hours before schools reopened last week. An order from a higher authority prompted the union to terminate the strike once it became evident that the government would not agree to any new…
Author: Nyanchoka
NACADA Begins a Crackdown on Bars Near Schools. The National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) has declared an across-the-nation crackdown on bars near educational institutions. In a press statement, NACADA CEO Anthony Omerikwa announced the closure of the affected establishments and the removal of alcohol-promoting billboards near schools. “The crackdown will target bars and liquor dispensing establishments located less than 300 meters from educational institutions or areas catering to individuals under 18 years old,” according to Omerikwa. He added that relevant national and county government authorities would coordinate the crackdown. Omerikwa told reporters that the…
KUPPET Ends Teachers’ Strike Following Talks with TSC. The Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) has called off the teachers’ strike. KUPPET Secretary General Akelo Misori and TSC CEO Nancy Macharia announced the cancellation of the strike at a joint press conference due to pending issues that TSC would resolve. Addressing the press, KUPPET Secretary General Akelo Misori stated that the strike had been postponed following a tentative deal with the Teachers Service Commission (TSC). Misori informed reporters that TSC has paid for the collective bargaining agreement, restored medical coverage, and is currently seeking funding to promote as many…
Public University Lecturers Commence Strike as Private Varsities Demand Overdue Payments. The Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) has begun a strike at the Technical University of Kenya after a seven-day deadline to meet their demands expired on August 26. The lecturers went on strike to demand that the 2021-2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement be executed. They demanded immediate payment, an increase in pay in line with the CBA, and no statutory or third-party deductions for things like bank loans, Sacco memberships and loans, insurance premiums, NSSF, NHIF, and AHL. They also wanted an investigation into the Staff Retirement and Benefits Scheme…
Ministry Instructs Principals to Submit Names of P1 Teachers with Referrals Students who did not complete their P1 course owing to referrals are relieved because the Ministry of Education (MoE) has instructed principals of all primary training colleges to assemble, sign, and submit all referrals and students’ names to the ministry. According to a memo from MoE Director of Education Yusuf Karayu, which Mwalimu News obtained on August 28, 2024, many students had not yet taken their final exams because of the subject’s phased-down referrals. The P1 Course was phased out and replaced with the Diploma Course in Teacher Training.…
KUPPET Standoff with TSC Escalates as Principals Send Students Home. Striking secondary school teachers are already playing hardball with their employer as Kuppet’s strike action enters its second week. The Kenya Union of Post-Primary Teachers has shifted its stance. It is now expected that teachers with higher education levels who have remained stagnant in the same job categories be promoted. On Monday, a number of schools nationwide released their students, citing their arrest. Machakos School, Masii Girls, Matungulu ABC, and Mtituni SA Secondary Schools are all closed. Other schools are expected to follow suit. Jomo Kenyatta Boys Secondary School and…
Secondary Schools in Machakos Announce Closure Over students Unrest. According to their principals, several public secondary schools in Machakos County have closed indefinitely due to student disturbance. Students were released to go home on Monday morning. A school principal said over the phone on Sunday night, “I’m releasing my students tomorrow due to security concerns, particularly following reported unrest. One of the schools closed indefinitely is Mitaboni ABC Girls in Kathiani Subcounty. The Machakos Boys High School, also known as Machakos School, has closed indefinitely due to alleged student unrest. Following the unrest among students that lasted all night Sunday,…
Sossion Calls for Probe into TSC Corruption, Reveals Cost For Hiring, Promoting Teachers. Wilson Sossion, a former secretary general of the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT), recommends investigating the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) for suspected corruption. Speaking on Monday, Sossion claimed to have seen widespread corruption at the union, including teachers offering payments in exchange for employment. Sossion questioned the constant hiring of new teachers despite the absence of job advertisements, alleging that applicants collude with government officials to secure these posts through graft. Sossion asserts that the cost of employment as a P1 teacher is Ksh. 350,000, with…
Hiring School Buses for Private Events to Become Costly as Per High Court Ruling. In the event of road accidents, hiring school buses for private use could soon prove to be a pricey endeavor. In a precedent-setting ruling, High Court Judge Roselyn Aburili states that it would be inappropriate to require an insurance company to accept claims arising from responsibility not foreseen by the legislature and, even then, not covered by an insurance policy between the parties concerned. According to the ruling, forcing the insurer to settle such claims would violate legal rules and assign parties what they did not…
COTU to TSC: Address Teachers’ Concerns or Be Scrapped. The Central Organisation of Trade Unions (COTU) has urged the Teachers Service Commission to refrain from leveraging threats and court orders against teachers on strike. COTU, through its Secretary General Francis Atwoli, urged TSC and the striking Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers to work together to reach an amicable return-to-work agreement to terminate the heated strike. Atwoli stated that COTU will back teachers in whatever endeavors they undertake, and urged TSC to halt threats and intimidation. Atwoli, speaking during the burial of KUPPET National Chairman Omboko Milemba’s brother in…