KUPPET leaders warn of action over reforms, pay after re-election

The re-election of top officials at the  Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) has set the stage for renewed efforts to address long-standing challenges facing educators.

 Speaking after retaining his seat yesterday, National Chair Omboko Milemba warned of possible disruption to school reopening over shortcomings in the Social Health Authority (SHA) medical cover and unpaid dues owed to teachers who marked last year’s national examinations.

 Other issues the union plans to tackle include junior school autonomy, stagnation in teacher promotions and the payment of the second phase of the 2025–2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), which he said has not been factored into the upcoming financial year.

 “We will push for the pending tutors’ issues, including teachers’ SHA medical cover and monies owed to examiners who marked last year’s national exams,” said Milemba shortly after his victory.

 The delayed payment of examiners has remained a particularly sensitive issue, with many teachers expressing frustration over months of waiting despite completing the critical national exercise.

 Milemba secured a fourth term in office, while Secretary General Akello Misori was re-elected unopposed.

 Beyond welfare concerns, the union is also pushing for structural reforms in the education sector, including autonomy for Junior Secondary Schools under the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC). Union leaders argue that the current framework has left many teachers without clear administrative independence, affecting efficiency and the delivery of learning outcomes.

 “We want a system where junior school teachers can operate with clarity, independence and proper facilitation. The current arrangement is not sustainable,” Milemba said.

 Another pressing concern is the stagnation in teacher promotions, a long-standing grievance that has left thousands of educators stuck in the same job groups for years.

 Closely tied to this is the demand for payment of the second phase of the 2025–2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement, which Milemba said has not been adequately factored into the upcoming financial year.

 “If the government does not allocate funds for the next phase of the CBA, then the gains we negotiated risk being eroded. We expect full implementation as agreed,” he said.

 The renewed demands come against the backdrop of what union leaders describe as a transformative five-year period marked by notable gains in teachers’ pay, welfare, and career progression.

 Between 2021 and 2026, KUPPET and its counterpart, the Kenya National Union of Teachers, engaged in sustained negotiations with the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), reshaping the employment landscape for educators across the country.

 The union pushed for implementation of Collective Bargaining Agreements, removal of controversial career progression policies, increased recruitment, and improved welfare benefits for teachers nationwide, said Secretary General Akello Misori.

 At the centre of these gains was the signing of the 2025–2029 CBA, a Sh33.75 billion agreement that introduced significant salary increments. Teachers in lower job groups received increases of up to 29.5 per cent, while others saw their salaries rise by between 16 and 32 per cent, depending on their grades.For many educators, the deal represented more than just financial improvement.

 “These gains were not just about numbers on a payslip. They are about dignity and the ability of teachers to live decently while serving the nation,” Milemba said.

 On career progression, the unions successfully pushed back against the controversial Career Progression Guidelines (CPG), which had slowed promotions and limited mobility. The guidelines are now set to be phased out by June 2026, paving the way for a more flexible promotion system.

 Government commitments to promote up to 50,000 teachers annually have also raised hopes among thousands who had remained in the same job groups for years.

 The past five years have also seen a huge boost in teacher recruitment, particularly in response to the demands of CBC. Between 2022 and 2025, about 76,000 teachers were hired, helping to ease staffing shortages in schools.

 Additionally, Sh2.4 billion was allocated in the 2025/26 financial year to support further recruitment, while Sh950 million was set aside for retraining teachers to effectively implement CBC, especially at the junior secondary level.