Teachers: We will not be cowed

Written By:Sylvester Ruto/Marion Kanari,    Posted: Fri, Sep 21, 2012

Education Minister Mutula Kilonzo and his Public Service counterpart Dalmas Otieno called on the teachers to respect the right of the children to education Teachers have defied orders to abandon the ongoing nationwide strike. Union officials say teachers will not be cowed by threats to sack them. They told the Parliamentary Committee on Education Friday that no amount of intimidation will get them back to classrooms. They demanded immediate payment of the 13.5 billion shillings government offer in one phase. Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) Secretary General Akelo Misori told the legislators that the strike will continue until the government shows commitment to addressing teachers' issues. Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Deputy Secretary General Mudzo Nzili said they will not accept the proposal by the cabinet to pay teachers in three phases. Public Service Minister Dalmas Otieno maintained that the government cannot source for money from the Contingency Fund to pay the teachers. Federation of Kenya Employers Chief Executive Officer Jackline Mugo appealed to the striking teachers to respect the court orders as disobedience threatens the rule of law. Education Minister Mutula Kilonzo and  his Public Service counterpart Dalmas Otieno called on the teachers to respect the right of the children to education as it surpasses the right to strike. Ndhiwa MP Augustino Neto told the teachers that they were violating children rights to education by keeping them out of classrooms. These even as pressure mounted  on the government to solve the stalemate  with Laikipia East legislator Mwangi Kiunjuri calling on the government to pay teachers their demands. The development came as students of Kangumo teachers college staged demonstrations in Nyeri town demanding immediate solution to the stalemate, a day after University of Nairobi students caused mayhem in the city. UASU Meanwhile, the ministry of Higher Education and the University's Academic Staff Union (UASU) are working on a formula that will see the establishment of the pending implementation of salaries in the July 2013 budget. Speaking Friday during a media briefing, Minister for Higher Education Margaret Kamar said the union and the government were negotiating on an agreement and that lecturers were expected to resume work in all public universities. Kamar told the media that a sub-committee formed to look into the matter had made progress in resolving the strike, saying that lecturers' grievances were genuine. On Thursday, the government awarded them a 33.1 percent salary hike and a 14.27 percent increment on their house allowance. Both increments will be backdated to the 1st of July 2010. The University Academics Staff Union (UASU) and University Non Teaching Staff Union members have been on strike demanding for salary increment.