Stop threats, Education Cabinet Secretary Jacob Kaimenyi tells teachers

Education Cabinet Secretary Jacob Kaimenyi (centre) joins Knut Secretary General Wilson Sossion (left) and Knut Chairman Mudzo Nzili during the union’s delegates meeting at Kasarani Safaricom stadium Monday. [Photo: Willis Awandu/Standard]

The Government has warned teachers against threats and intimidation while demanding an increase in their basic salary and other allowances.

Education Cabinet Secretary Jacob Kaimenyi said the Government was willing to give dialogue a chance but would not yield to threats and intimidation from teachers.

“You cannot run a country on threats and intimidation. The Jubilee government is willing to listen to teachers and to address their grievances, but not through threats,” said Prof Kaimenyi during the teachers’ 57^th Annual Delegates Conference (ADC) at Kasarani Safaricom Indoor Arena yesterday.

And prominent lawyer PLO Lumumba excited the teachers with his passionate speech canvassing for the their welfare. Prof Lumumba, who is also the director of the Kenya School of Law, used his trademark humour and satire to make a pitch for better pay for teachers.

“When you don’t give them water when they are thirsty, what is the value of a lake of water when they are dead," Lumumba thundered.

He stressed the irony of pampering the political elite but forsaking teachers who are instrumental in molding the society's best.

"Something is seriously wrong with a country where the entertainment allowance of politicians is more than the salary of a school Principals," he said.

But Kaimenyi told the teachers to be patient in their pay increase demands, citing inadequate funds.

"I want to assure the teachers that I am aware of the challenges they are facing but the only problem is that we cannot address them at once. I want to urge them to be patient," said Kaimenyi.

It was after this statement that angered delegates booed him and he was forced to cut short his speech.

Kaimenyi sat pensively at the high table watching as teachers started walking out in protest.

But speaking to the media shortly after the delivering part of his aborted speech, Kaimenyi maintained that Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) was part of stakeholders consulted before abolishing school ranking system.

"We are still willing to talk to Knut in a structured dialogue. But Knut cannot purport that they were not consulted before coming up with the circular," he said.

In a quick rejoinder, Knut Chairman Mudzo Nzili accused the Education CS of lying to the public that the union was consulted before abolishing the school ranking system.

Instead, Knut wants the circular abolishing the school ranking system withdrawn immediately and allow for more consultations and a new system put in place that will ensure that performance is measurable.

And teachers will this morning endorse the Knut National Executive Council (NEC) plan to stay out of classrooms after salary negotiations hit a snag.

Knut has vowed to resort to industrial action come January 2015, accusing the Government of taking them in circles in the salary pay talks.

Nzili maintained teachers had given dialogue a chance and had been patriotic enough to allow students to sit their exams without any hitch.

He accused the Government of failing to reciprocate the teachers' patriotism.

"Teachers have given dialogue a chance in 26 sessions. Instead of the Government reciprocating, it has resorted to taking the teachers in circles. The Government is not serious," said Nzili.

He said the last time the teachers signed a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) was 17 years ago.

Nzili accused the Government of using the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) to derail the pay talks that has lasted since September.

Knut Secretary General Wilson Sossion told Kaimenyi to keep off their pay negotiation process.

Mr Sossion said that it's only the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) that should handle all matters concerning the welfare of teachers as stated in the Constitution and vowed that Knut will protect the commission at all cost.

TSC Secretary Gabriel Lengoiboni informed the delegates that the commission had promoted 99,288 teachers between 2011 and 2014.

He hinted that the process of promoting 7,775 teachers who had submitted certificates by January this year after attaining higher qualifications was ongoing and would be finalised in the next one month.

"In the last two years, the commission has not been able to promote teachers to the higher grades such as Job Group P owing to the limitation of the establishment. The commission is appealing to the Government to expand the establishment of these grades so as to motivate the teachers and retain them in the teaching profession," said Mr Lengoiboni.

And just like Kaimenyi, Lengoiboni had a rough time reading his speech to the agitated teachers who had wanted him to state when teachers were going to sign an MoU.