Teachers have warned of potential disruption to learning activities in all public schools beginning Monday, July 7, due to stalled negotiations for a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT), led by its Secretary General, Collins Oyuu, threatened to lead a nationwide strike should the Teachers' Service Commission (TSC) fail to commence talks for the new CBA.
Oyuu, while addressing the press on Tuesday afternoon, accused TSC of allegedly declining the talks despite the expiry of the current CBA, which lapsed on June 30 this year.
The KNUT boss made the pronouncement moments after a consultative meeting with TSC officials at the Commission headquarters in Nairobi for talks over the new 2025/2029 CBA.
However, the talks failed to proceed after TSC declined KNUT's demands, forcing the union to issue a 7-day strike notice should the Commission fail to address its grievances.
Among the demands tabled by the union before the Commission were a 60 per cent minimum salary increase and a 30 per cent general hike in all the allowances.
According to Oyuu, the teachers were also seeking to have clear promotion criteria in the new CBA, especially for teachers who are not administrators.
"We are looking forward to the demands we gave. Teachers of Kenya are not prepared to receive a non-monetary CBA as it has been in the recent past," Oyuu said.
The botched talks come a week after TSC invited KNUT for the new CBA meeting after months of delays in the talks, which sparked uproar among teachers.
"The Commission invites you to a consultative meeting on CBA 2025-2029 on Tuesday, July 1, 2025, at 9am at the Commission Chairman's Boardroom—3rd floor, Tower building," read the invitation letter dated June 24, 2025.
Meanwhile, this is the second time teachers have threatened to convene a strike over the delays in new CBA talks. On June 21, the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) gave TSC a similar warning.
KUPPET Chairperson Omboko Milemba, while speaking to journalists, announced that the union had given the Commission up to June 28 to invite them for talks.
"TSC should invite us for talks, the other person who should also be involved is the Labour Cabinet Secretary, who should make sure that TSC convenes the talks immediately," Milemba stated.
His sentiments were backed by the union's Secretary General, Akello Misori, who noted that the new CBA was of great significance, as it was meant to address teachers' welfare and motivate them.
