Knut’s fury over alleged secret recruitment of intern teachers

By Sam Otieno

The tussle between the Ministry of Education and Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) over temporary employment contracts for intern teachers is boiling over and may be headed to court.

Knut yesterday sensationally claimed head teachers have been instructed to open new bank accounts where the Sh1.6 billion to hire intern teachers will be secretly wired next week. Knut, which alongside Teachers Service Commission (TSC) favours long-term contracts for teachers and has resisted the move, said head teachers have been instructed to conduct the recruitment through schools Boards of Governors. This is the point at which the initial attempt to recruit teachers on temporal basis was halted before the two teacher unions went to court to try and block the recruitment.

Ongeri

Knut Secretary General Mr Lawrence Majali, Chairman George Wesonga and Treasurer Fred Ontere claimed the union had received information of secret recruitment from their branches countrywide. "We have heard very strong and disturbing rumours emanating from the Ministry of Education corridors that head teachers are under instructions to open intern salary accounts," said Majali.

Education minister Prof Sam Ongeri dismissed the allegations as rumour. "These rumours emanating from everywhere are causing us problems at the ministry," said Ongeri.

Speaking in Mombasa ahead of joining the President for the national fete to welcome the New Year, Ongeri dismissed as mischievous reports that some ministry officials issued directives for secret recruitment of interns in all public schools.

The minister said if such instructions have been issued to any teacher or education official, then he was not party to it. "As a minister, I am not aware of such instructions. As I told Kenyans while releasing this year’s KCPE results, the issues of recruitment of teachers remains suspended until a case pending court is heard and determined," said Ongeri.

The minister who sounded upset said: "Let investigations be conducted and if there is anybody from the ministry who has issued such instructions he be named and asked to explain to source of the orders."

He said he respects the law and there was no way he would have "sanctioned an illegality".

TSC Chairman Ibrahim Hussein also denied knowledge of Knut’s claim. "I have not heard of that. That is indeed news to me because no matter what, as teachers’ employers, we would be informed," said Hussein.

Independent probe

Ongeri explained his meeting with PDEs had nothing to do with the alleged private accounts.

However, independent investigations by The Standard confirmed Provincial Directors of Education (PDEs) were briefed immediately after the release of the KCPE examination last Tuesday.

Sources who spoke on condition of anonymity revealed the money would be wired to the bank accounts as school grants but head teachers should use it to recruit short-term teachers at their own discretion. The issue of the intern teachers is pending in court after Knut and another teachers union — Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) — stopped the process. The matter is scheduled for court direction on January 16.

Mutahi

At the Press conference, Knut vowed it would move to court and accused the Education minister of acting in contempt and interfering with matters before the court. "Our wish is to have this matter cleared and schools to get new teachers as soon as possible," said Wesonga. Mr Ontere said Knut was collecting evidence over the claims and would go to court once it finalises its investigation. "The allegations have reached us from all over the country and we know that where there is smoke, there is fire," said Majali. He said if the instructions had not gone out, then they were on the way. According to Majali, Knut wrote to Prime Minister Raila Odinga requesting him to convene a meeting with the Ministers for Education, Finance, the Attorney General, and TSC to hammer out a consensus on withdrawing the court case.

Raila is on record saying the Government was ready to allow the TSC to hire 12,600 teachers on permanent terms. But the PM said the move would be effected on condition all teachers welfare unions that have cases in court against the Government withdraw them.

In a letter dated December 17, Knut through its lawyer Mr Paul Muite said the meeting, if convened, would give the AG instructions to record appropriate orders in court on the two cases. On his part, TSC Secretary Gabriel Lengoiboni said TSC has the machinery to hire 12,600 teachers.

Budgetary constraints

Usually, TSC hires 6,500 additional teachers annually, but that was not done this year due to budgetary constraints.

Meanwhile President Kibaki in his New Year message to Kenyans revisited his assurance that stern measures would be taken against education officials found to have misappropriated FPE funds.

The President in his midnight speech said this would be a significant year in the education sector with focus on empowering the youth.

 

Read all about: Ministry of Education Kenya National Union of Teachers teachers Teachers Service Commission TSC Sam Ongeri

 

 

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