Pay up to avoid disrupting learning, Knut officials warn

The Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) county officials have thrown their weight behind their national office leaders, and urged the Government to obey a court ruling that awarded teachers between 50 and 60 per cent salary increase.

Branch Executive Secretary Julius Taitumu said the Government must respect the court ruling and effect the pay hike to avoid a looming strike.

Mr Taitumu said teachers in Meru expect the Government to obey the Judiciary's decision to prevent any disruptions to the school calendar.

"Justice Nduma Nderi (Industrial Court judge) had at last served justice when he ordered the Teachers Service Commission to give us the pay rise and backdate it to July 1, 2013. Teachers have been crying for this for close to two decades. The good thing for the Government to do now is to implement the order, otherwise we are going to lose faith in the system," said Taitumu.

"Nobody has the right to deny us what the court has awarded. We do not want to paralyse education because we love our children, and the parents who struggle to take them to school. That is why we presented our grievances through the legal channel, successfully. We work hard for our salaries, and the best the Government can do is give us our dues," said Taitumu.