By AUGUSTINE ODUOR
Teachers have petitioned House Speaker Kenneth Marende to urgently intervene in a case that may see them lose allowances they negotiated with the Government.
The over 270,000 teachers risk losing house, medical and commuter allowance if the House Committee on Delegated Legislation fails to table in Parliament its report regarding the validity of the contentious legal notice no 16 of 2003.
The Government and the Kenya National Teacher Union (Knut) have been divided over the authenticity of this legal notice, which the state claims amended some of the benefits as were negotiated under the legal notice 534 of 1997.
Deputy Speaker Farah Maalim ordered the Committee on Delegated Legislation to establish the validity of the Legal Notice after Gichugu MP Martha Karua presented the petition in Parliament on behalf of the teachers.
In his letter to the Speaker, Knut acting secretary general Xavier Nyamu accused Education Minister Mutula Kilonzo of failure to present minutes of the Teachers Service Remuneration Committee to the committee.
The minutes allegedly recommended gazettement of the legal notice.
In his letter, Mr Nyamu has complained to Marende about “the casual manner in which the minister has exhibited towards summons by the House Committee.”
“We wish to raise issue with the ministers careless disregard to summonses by the departmental committee. This matter is central to teachers...we are afraid this kind of development...will only serve to incite resumption of industrial action,” read the letter to Marende.
Knut is also demanding that Ms Abdalla tables her report in the House today for debate.
Nyamu said teachers will not wait any longer for the House to gamble with what they rightfully negotiated in 1997. “We will not allow MPs to go on recess without sealing the fate of this document. We are closely following House activities with a keen eye,” said Nyamu.
He said the union’s Annual Delegates Conference held last week in Kisumu resolved to await Parliament’s decision on the legal notice before they act.
The union’s top leadership also visited Narc-Kenya leader Martha Karua on Monday to lobby her to push their plight on this issue in Parliament.
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