End retired teachers long wait for their hard-earned money

23,811 retired teachers of the 1997 salary award are yet to be paid their dues. [iStockphoto]

The Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut), under the leadership of the feared and tactful trade union maestro the late Ambrose Adeya Adongo alias A.A.A, managed to secure a salary deal of 150 per cent for her members during the tough regime of the late president Daniel arap Moi. The pay deal, which was to cost Kenyan taxpayer a whopping Sh123 billion, met headwinds only after the first phase of implementation.

The government claimed the economy would have collapsed would it have paid the remaining Sh80 billion in four phases. And so the implementation schedule was halted, and further negotiations were planned to allow progress. After several consultative meetings between teachers' trade unions, the Teachers' Service Commission (TSC), the Treasury and the Kibaki regime, it was agreed that the money be paid in four phases beginning 2003.