The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Secretary General, Collins Oyuu, has urged teachers across the country to support the recently signed Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) for 2025-2029.
Speaking on Monday, Oyuu urged the teachers to appreciate both the monetary and non-monetary agreements, no matter how small.
This, Oyuu said, was because the union had the power to amend the document and ask for more before 2029, as the review clause was very clear in the addendum.
"We appreciate the little that was given to these teachers. Much as we appreciate it, we want to behave like Oliver Twist, picking from the right hand and asking for more using the left hand. With the amendment, we shall ask for more," Oyuu said.
"I want to ask all teachers to support what we negotiated, and more so in the monetary CBA and non-monetary CBA. Indeed, we have a lot."
In addition to the salary increase, which will see certain teachers receive up to a 29.6 per cent increase in their salary, Oyuu highlighted the contentious issue of the proposed declassification of certain areas as hardship areas.
"No single gazetted hardship area shall be excluded. All the hardship areas shall remain as they were, and if anything, we are advocating for the gazettement of all hardship areas," he declared.
In the same vein, he emphasised that the capitation to schools should also be improved to ensure children from humble backgrounds have access to free education in line with their peers.
As such, he urged lawmakers to reject any bills seeking to scrap the free basic education.
On July 19, the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET), and the Kenya Union of Special Needs Education Teachers (KUSNET) inked a new deal worth Ksh33 billion.
In the CBA, teachers in the highest job group (D5) are set to earn up to Ksh167,415, marking a five per cent increase in their salaries.
On the other hand, the lowest-paid teacher, currently earning around Ksh23,000, will see their pay rise to about Ksh29,000.
