Kenya: More than 2,000 teachers posted to parts of North Eastern Province defied an order by their employer to report by Monday, saying their demands had not been met.

Instead, the teachers accompanied Kenya National Union of Teachers Secretary General Wilson Sossion to CID headquarters, where he was summoned for questioning over allegations of incitement to violence and disobedience in ongoing standoff pitting them.

Police accuse Sossion of inciting the teachers to violence, a charge he has denied.

The teachers were the first ones to arrive outside CID headquarters, Mazingira Building along Kiambu Road and started singing and dancing while waiting for the arrival of Sossion and his lawyers.

When Sossion arrived at about 10 am they all mobbed him, praising him before he went in for grilling.

The Teachers Service Commission had ordered the teachers posted in the three counties in the region to report by Monday.

“All teachers stationed in Garissa, Wajir and Mandera who have not reported to their work stations are required to do so not later than Monday, February 2, failure to which disciplinary measures will be initiated without any further reference to the teachers,” said TSC Secretary Gabriel Lengoiboni in a statement.

Lengoiboni also ordered County Directors in the affected areas to file school-based returns on the teachers who will have reported by February 2. Teachers who were recently employed were also given an ultimatum to report to work.

“Newly employed teachers in the three counties who were required to report for duty with effect from January 5 will be replaced from February 3 unless they report by February 2,” said Lengoiboni.

There has been pressure from different quarters on the teachers to return to the areas. The teachers have refused to return to work over insecurity, discrimination and harassment.

CID summoned Sossion on Friday and ordered him to appear before Mazingira Building along Kiambu Road for grilling.

Sossion has warned TSC against interdicting the 2,000 teachers over their refusal to report to work.

“I dare TSC to interdict the 2,000 teachers who have boycotted duty in NEP. The teachers have very legitimate and life threatening concerns,” he said.

Learning in schools in North eastern Kenya has been paralysed for a month now as teachers who are not from the region continue to stay away.

The teachers vowed to defy the return-to-work order by TSC and dared the Government to sack them, insisting they could not risk their safety for teaching posts.

Trouble started in November when teachers were among 64 people who were gunned down by suspected Al-Shabaab militants as they were heading home for the Christmas holidays.

The teachers have complained about management of national examinations in the three counties, discrimination against non-local teachers and lack of say in the leadership of public schools.

They have since then been camping at the union and commission offices seeking to be moved from the areas or their grievances be addressed first.

The union has told the teachers not to report until their demands are addressed, which prompted police action.