Kuppet to fete slain teacher with candle vigils

KUPPET Secretary General  Akelo Misori  during a press briefing on budget cuts in the education sector, the Junior secondary administration and the finance bill at the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) offices,Nairobi on 14th May 2025. [David Gichuru,Standard]

The Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) will honour slain Albert Ojwang with a night vigil on Friday, and has sent condolences to his family.

The union plans to commemorate his life with prayers and a candle light vigil on Friday from 4pm at the Kuppet head office and all county headquarters, with Homa Bay branch meeting in Kokwanyo.

“The ceremonies will be marked by prayers, readings and reflections from Mr Ojwangʾs life spared for the teachers working in hardship situations and young people who have suffered extra-judicial execution and kidnapping,” said Akelo Misori, Kuppet chair, during a press conference.

He further talked of the union's concern on the delay by Teachers Service Commission to table its counter offer of the Collective Bargaining Agreement demands they had presented in October 2024.

“The delay is causing anxiety among our members who missed a pay rise in the last CBA,” said Akelo.

He said the budget cut should not affect the teacher’s salary raise. “When we had between 3 per cent and 9 per cent increment affecting the salary of public servants, including teachers, basically this was to address the budgetary allocation that required teachers to pay housing levy and medical levy to finance SHA,” said Akelo.

“There should not emerge a situation where there are budget cuts targeting teachers' medical cover,” he said. There should be an enhancement because the circumstances have changed. We do not want to go on strike again on the same issue,” he added.