The Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers faces a major fallout as junior school teachers plan to exit the union. The teachers say the union has failed to defend their welfare and has instead focused on the money collected from their monthly deductions.
About forty six thousand junior school teachers recently hired by the government are leading the push. They each contribute two percent of their basic pay, roughly eight hundred and ninety shillings a month. Together, they bring in about forty one million shillings every month. Many now feel the union has not earned their trust.
The teachers, who operate under the Kenya Junior School Teachers Association, say they have already started the withdrawal process. Association chairperson James Odhiambo accused the union of ignoring their needs and failing to champion their professional and administrative independence.
Odhiambo said the union has shown little interest in junior school teachers despite their high numbers and the huge contributions they make. He noted that the union refused to support their legal case at the High Court, even after the association requested help. The case sought to secure autonomy for junior schools instead of placing them under secondary school management.
He added that the union later advised them to first meet the Teachers Service Commission before taking further action. To many teachers, this signalled the start of the union withdrawing from their concerns.
Odhiambo further claimed that union officials have been pushing positions that junior school teachers do not support. He said the shift in direction has left teachers feeling let down.
Teachers Cite Lack of Representation
“We cannot stay in a union that overlooks our needs while benefiting from our contributions. We need leaders who respect us and speak for us,” said Odhiambo.
A senior union official, who requested anonymity, responded by saying teachers are free to make their own choices. The official said the union has been working on issues affecting junior school teachers and has already created a leadership slot for them in the upcoming elections.
He added that going to court or calling a strike are last options. He said the union has been engaging the Teachers Service Commission and other education bodies to resolve issues through dialogue.
Last week, national chairman Omboko Milemba said the union is preparing for talks with the Teachers Service Commission. The meeting will focus on confirming twenty thousand intern teachers into permanent and pensionable terms and the structure of promotions.
Milemba criticised the continued hiring of teachers on internship terms. He said the law does not allow the Teachers Service Commission to employ teachers on internship contracts and described the practice as unfair to the affected teachers.
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