Strike threat by teachers as Knut protests salaries delay

By Augustine Oduor

Learning could be paralysed in all public schools again as teachers threaten to abandon classes over delayed payment of their September salaries.

Sources at the Ministry of Education hinted to The Standard that Teachers Service Commission (TSC) gets up to Sh8.5 billion to pay teachers monthly, but so far has only received Sh2.4 billion.

The Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) on Tuesday said its members are yet to be paid several days after the month ended.

Union secretary general Okuta Osiany said on Tuesday the cash crunch has now hit teachers as several of them have been evicted from their houses over delayed rent payment.

Sources at the Teachers Service Commission confirmed to the Standard that teachers had not been paid but downplayed the magnitude of the crisis.

"It is just logistical issue that we are working on and the money should be released as soon as possible," said the source, which is not allowed to speak to the press on behalf of the Commission.

The revelations puts Treasury on the spot yet again coming only few weeks after teachers went on a one-week strike following failed allocation of adequate funds to employ teachers.

Currently, the Commission needs to pay 263,000 teachers. Of these, 245,000 are teachers currently on permanent basis while the rest are 18,060 teachers on contract.

Kenya Primary School Heads Association (Kepsha) national chair Joseph Karuga confirmed no teachers had received their September salaries.

Delayed payment of teacher’s salaries is the latest crisis in the education sector this examination term.

The situation that now threatens to disrupt learning in schools comes in the wake of a deteriorating shilling against the dollar, and rising food prices.

It also comes as teachers are expected to prepare students for national examinations scheduled to start in less than three weeks from today.

Last month, schools lost another learning week as teachers staged a nationwide strike that saw all public schools remain closed.

And to show that the national examinations are around the corner, Kenya National Examination Council (Knec) will today conduct briefings for various stakeholders.

But speaking to the press on Tuesday, Knut asked teachers to feel free to walk out of their classes to demand their salaries from the nearby government offices without fear of being victimised.

"We are telling teachers to go and look for their salaries. They can go to District Education Offices or any teachers Service Commission office," said Osiany.

He said it was unfortunate for the Government to remain insensitive to education matters and the plight of Kenyan children, especially in the examination term.

"Today (yesterday) is October 4th but the Employment Act says that if one is not paid by the third day of succeeding month then it is missing. We are now telling the teachers to go and look for it," he said.

"No teacher can work without pay. These are tough economic times and it should be seen to be tough to everyone including teachers," he said.

He added: "Somebody is being insensitive to teachers plight. Teachers don’t earn logistics they earn liquid cash."

The latest developments make this term the darkest for teachers and students as learning has not been smooth.

Only last week, teachers expressed fear over a looming crisis following delayed release by Treasury of money for free education, a few weeks to the start of national examinations.

Both primary and secondary school heads that spoke to The Standard said lack of funds would affect national examinations, as running schools is getting difficult.

School heads expressed fears it would hinder adequate preparations for the exams slated to start in three weeks.

The money caters for tuition fees, learning materials and to settle other school bills.

Last term, schools faced a similar crisis as teachers threatened not to administer end term examinations and to close schools early following the delayed release of some Sh7.1 billion by the Government to ease the cash crunch in public schools.