The government has welcomed the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) decision to cancel a planned nationwide strike scheduled for today(Monday, August 26, 2024).
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos Ogamba expressed gratitude to KNUT officials and members for their decision to call off the strike. He assured that the government would work to meet the teachers’ demands.
“We assure our teachers of the government’s genuine commitment to addressing all their legitimate concerns, despite the limited fiscal space within which we are operating as a country,” Ogamba stated.
CS Ogamba also urged parents and guardians to ensure their children report to their respective schools as planned.
“As previously notified, the ministry has already disbursed Ksh.21.8 billion as capitation to all basic education institutions to ensure a smooth resumption of school operations,” he added.
Ogamba further promised that the government would use a consultative approach with all stakeholders to resolve outstanding issues and create a favorable working environment for teachers.
KNUT’s decision to cancel the strike followed a day-long meeting by its National Executive Council (NEC) on Sunday.
KNUT Secretary General Collins Oyuu announced that the National Executive Council presented five key demands.
First, they called for the immediate implementation of the second phase of the 2021/2025 amended CBA, which the Teachers Service Commission and Knut signed.
The Union also demanded the immediate remittance of third-party deductions accrued to their respective organizations.
Additionally, they requested the immediate conversion of 46,000 Junior School teachers to Permanent and Pensionable Terms and the hiring of 20,000 new teachers.
The union sought the promotion of 130,000 teachers who have been stagnant in various job grades.
Finally, they demanded the prompt remittance of capitation to the Medical Insurer to enable service providers to offer medical services to sick teachers and their families.
The NEC decided to withdraw the strike notice, which was set to expire at midnight on August 25, 2024, after the government and the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) began addressing the remaining issues administratively.
“In light of these developments, we direct our teachers to resume duty effective Monday, August 26, 2024,” KNUT announced in a statement signed by Secretary General Collins Henry Oyuu.
The union explained that it made this decision after evaluating all options and considering the commitment levels of the government, TSC, and the teachers’ role in advancing the education agenda.
KNUT acknowledged that while it remained unconvinced by some of the steps taken by the government and TSC, it believed there was goodwill to address the union’s concerns.
