Give us more time, President Uhuru Kenyatta tells teachers

Kenya: President Uhuru Kenyatta has asked teachers to slow down on their demands for salary increment.

The President said his Government has invested heavily in education and indicated the sector gets the biggest budgetary allocation.

"We have made tremendous strides in fulfilling teachers' needs and we ask for space and time to allow us do more," he said. "We are still taking drastic steps to meet teachers' demands for a decent living. We are still trying, so give us time and be patient."

Uhuru said the Jubilee administration is still keen on implementing the laptop project. "We have faced challenges but we shall still deliver on what we have to because we have promised Kenyans," he said.

His request comes as teachers unions are entangled in a salary review fight that has now moved to the Industrial Court.

The Teachers Service Commission has asked the court to quash all teachers' salary demands citing the ballooning wage bill.

The employer has also maintained that teachers salaries have been harmonised to the level of all civil servants but they have been offered Sh9.3 billion in allowances.

Uhuru was addressing an international education conference at the Kenya International Convention Centre.

Education International (EI) brings together 348 unions which translates to some 30 million members across 170 countries

Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) and Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers are  EI members.

The Universities Academic Staff Union and the Kenya Union of Domestic, Hotels, Educational Institutions, Hospitals and Allied Workers are also members.

Knut Secretary General Wilson Sossion yesterday said quality teaching goes hand in hand with good remuneration.

But Uhuru asked teachers to be patient as plans were underway to better their lives.