By Peter Ochieng
The Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) and the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) have reached an agreement on modalities of promoting teachers.
Under the agreement, over 30,000 teachers who have stagnated in one position for over seven years will be promoted.
It does not end there. TSC will employ an extra 20,000 teachers to address the current shortage in the Junior Secondary Schools (JSS). The exercise will cost the tax payer over Sh7.8 billion.
The resolutions were arrived at during a six-day engagement at a Naivasha hotel.
KUPPET National Chairman Omboko Milemba who doubles up as Emuhaya MP, in an address to the press said that of the 50,000 teachers who had stagnated for years, 30,000 will benefit in the coming financial year.
He said medical cover will be among the biggest benefits for the teachers.
“The government will look at the implementation of new group life cover, group personal accident cover and work injury benefits insurance for teachers as part of the medical scheme,” said Milemba.
KUPPET Secretary General Akelo Misori on his part said that of the 20,000 teachers who would be employed in JSS, 2,000 will be posted to the Arid and Semi-Arid regions.
“TSC has agreed to the union’s demand to review the career progression guidelines that have contributed to stagnation among teachers and to develop new career Guidelines through public participation,” he stated.
“The Commission has addressed our concerns about the promotion of teachers not in the payroll and explained the remedy for 14 teachers who earned the promotion while not being in the payroll,” he added.
Omboko Milemba added that since 2017, majority of teachers have not been promoted, insisting that the Naivasha meeting had resolved to end the anomaly with effect from June this year.
He said that Sh4 billion will be required for the employment of the 20,000 teachers.
On delayed pension for teachers, Misori said TSC was jointly working with the department of pensions on administrative action, to hasten the pension processes.
Curiously though, senior officials from TSC were absent during a media briefing by members of the KUPPET national executive committee.