The Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) has accused the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) of failing to implement promises made by President William Ruto to teachers.
Speaking in Naivasha on Thursday, December 18, KUPPET Secretary General Akelo Misori said the commission had done little to actualise commitments the President made when he hosted more than 10,000 teachers at State House.
“What has surprised us is that the TSC, which is supposed to fast-track all the gains we secured with the President, has done very little,” Misori said.
Misori noted that a key issue they expected TSC to follow up on was the reduction of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) cycle. According to the union, President Ruto had promised that CBAs would be implemented within two years instead of the usual four-year cycle.
During the State House meeting, the President pledged major welfare improvements for teachers, including 205 affordable housing units, a shorter two- to three-year CBA cycle, and hiring unemployed teachers aged 45 and above.
He also promised faster retirement benefits processing and permanent employment for CBC teachers currently on internship.
However, KUPPET says none of the promises have been fulfilled.
Misori accused TSC of deliberately slowing down implementation, revealing that the commission had not submitted any funding request to Parliament for the promotion of an additional 25,000 teachers.
“We were shocked that TSC had not made any funding request to Parliament for the promotion of 25,000 more teachers. The President also confirmed that 20,000 teachers would be converted to permanent and pensionable terms by the end of the year,” Misori said.
JSS teachers, who are part of an internship program, are expected to work under the program for at least two years before being confirmed into permanent and pensionable (PnP) terms.
The government, however, promised that those hired in early 2025 would be confirmed by the end of the year. The government had set aside Ksh5.4 billion for the conversion, with assurance from Treasury CS John Mbadi.
However, there are fears that this promise may not be implemented, as TSC has reportedly renewed the contracts of the 20,000 teachers for an additional year.
The union has now called on TSC to act urgently by engaging Parliament, the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC), and other relevant agencies to ensure the pledges are honoured.
KUPPET also accused Housing Principal Secretary Charles Hinga of failing to respond to multiple letters seeking clarification on the promised affordable housing units for teachers.
