Teachers have poked holes into Cabinet Secretary, George Magoha's, achievements, claiming that he was yet to secure his legacy.
The tutors drawn from the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) and Kenya Union of Post Primary Education (KUPPET) were responding to Magoha's sentiments on their salary demands.
KNUT secretary general, Collins Oyuu, argued that Magoha was tasked with policy development in the ministry, development of schools and implementation of the Competency-Based Curriculum.
"He has quite some task to accomplish," Oyuu stated, urging Magoha to keep off speaking on their salary protests.
His KUPPET colleague, Akelo Misori, added teachers were affected by the aftermath of the pandemic which saw the cost of living rise.
"They deserve salary reviews under the 2022-2025 Public Sector Review Cycle – which they were denied last year on the false basis of the pandemic.
“Our unions have got strong assurances, including written undertakings from the Commission, of the demands being considered within appropriate government channels. It is, therefore, reckless for the minister to deride a negotiating process he is not a party," Misori added.
He argued that discussions between the teachers' association and the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) broke down over the influence of third parties.
Teachers want a 60 per cent salary increment. They asked TSC to review the 2021-2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
According to the teachers' demands, the 60 per cent salary increment was to apply to the 300,000 teachers immediately.
If approved the lowest paid teacher was to get Ksh38,800 from Ksh14,550.
Magoha had termed their demands unrealistic, arguing that the government was spending way less than the amount requested.
“I can tell you that their demand is mostly unreasonable because the government is spending 25.9 per cent of the national budget on education. Let us not pretend and politicise everything. There’s no way the government can give teachers a 60 per cent salary increment,” he differed.
