A section of Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) members from Nyandarua County stormed Weru Secondary School on Wednesday after reports surfaced that some of the colleagues were teaching in classrooms when the union had directed its members to down their tools.
Reports indicate that KUPPET officials walked in and demanded to know why their colleagues defied the official position requiring members to participate in the nationwide strike.
However, the group of officials found teachers employed by the school board tutoring the students. This group of teachers are not public servants and are employed in a private capacity.
“Should teachers report to this school, tell them to join us in demonstrating at Engineer Town,” the officials warned the principal whom they found at the institution.
The development came barely a day after the High Court halted the KUPPET’s teachers' strike after the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) moved to court.
While delivering the ruling, Justice James Rika of the Employment and Labour Relations Court in Nairobi certified the petition filed by TSC as urgent.
Pending the hearing and determination of the case, KUPPET was ordered to suspend the industrial action.
However, despite the court order KUPPET’s Secretary-General Akelo Misori on Tuesday responding to the ruling directed the union’s members to ignore the ruling and continue with the strike.
“As the strike enters day three, we urge our members to ignore any distractions and continue picketing until the union shall have a signed return to work formula that addresses our grievances,” he affirmed.
The Secretary-General vowed the strike will go on until their demands are met with the view to ensure quality education.
"Indeed this cause is not for teachers alone but also for the rights of all Kenyan children to quality education."
On Sunday, August 25, the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) withdrew its strike notice, following fruitful talks with the TSC leaving KUPPET as the only teachers' union proceeding with a strike.
