Union to sue TSC for disobeying court order on teachers

Teachers in Kajiado plan to sue their employer for failing to obey a court order reinstating 58 of their colleagues who were interdicted recently.

Kajiado Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) Secretary Elly Korinko (pictured) said the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) is now in contempt of court for failing to adopt the order.

Speaking during a Press conference on Tuesday, Korinko alleged that TSC officers had been physically ejecting the teachers from classrooms, even after the court ordered them back to class.

He said his office would use all means available to make sure they are reinstated. “My office is angered by the move to interdict the teachers who are being accused of opposing the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC),” said Mr Korinko. On May 16, Justice Byram Ongaya of the employment and Labour Relations court quashed TSC’s decision to interdict the teachers.

Korinko said there was a silent war going on between TSC and Knut, and that such a row was likely to affect the welfare of the pupils.

“TSC is playing games with the future of our children. Interrupting learning in schools will not help anybody,” he said.

The Standard visited some of the schools in the county.

At Kilo Primary School, parents had started withdrawing their children and moving them to private schools due to absence of teachers.

TSC has, however, responded, saying it had never disobeyed court orders. TSC Head of Corporate Communications Kihumba Kamotho refuted the claims that the teachers’ employer was in conflict with any court.Mr Kihumba said he was not aware of any court ordering the reinstatement of any teachers in Kajiado. He said he was only aware of one in Kitui County.

“In the Kajiado case, the copy of a court order does not revoke the interdiction,” said Kihumba.