Bizarre as education officials refuse to address striking KUPPET teachers

Written by Protus Simiyu and Frankline Bwire 2013-06-24 18:07:00 Read 323 Times

KUPPET Bungoma branch chairman Hilary Arap Bokose (left)  with other members as they went up to Bungoma TSC offices. [PHOTO|Protus Simiyu|West Fm]

Bungoma County

There was drama at the Bungoma County TSC offices in Bungoma town as education officers refused to address striking teachers drawn from Secondary schools and Tertiary institutions under their umbrella Kenya Post Primary Education Teachers KUPPET Bungoma County branch.

The education officers declined to address the teachers confusing them for bodaboda operators a situation that angered the already overwhelmed teachers and their KUPPET officials.

“We cannot address you because we are unable to tell if at all this are teachers or bodaboda operators,” an education official said as he went back to the office.

The teachers has boarded bodaboda’s to symbolize how poor they are and as one way of pushing their point home but on the contrally this did not get the eye of the education officers.

“How dare this officers call us bodaboda operators, we want to put records right that no amount of intimidation will stop us from demanding for what rightly belongs to us,” said the Chairman of KUPPET Hilary Arap Bokose.

Mr. Bokose affirmed that teachers will not go back to class until when the government will bore down to their demands from teachers.

The chairman said teachers in Bungoma County will only resume duty when the government will offer them harmonized responsibility, Commuter and leave allowances wholesomely.

“We are aware the government had not taken leave and so the jubilee government should not pretend to be hearing our demands for the first time, the government should take up its responsibility and address teacher’s demands once and for all,” Bokose charged.

The Bungoma County KUPPET chairman accused the Teachers Service Commission TSC for its attempts to harass, frustrate and mistreat teachers while asserting that their strike that has entered week two is real and will only be called off when their demands will be amicably addressed by government.

He urged teachers in Secondary and Tertiary institutions in the region to remain put and not to be intimidated by education officials to go back to duty.

“Our teachers should remain away from their work stations, teachers, remain home and wait for official communication from the national KUPPET officials,” he said.

“This is a government with a budget of trillions, Members of Parliament and County Representatives in this country have increased their salaries including abnormal allowances yet we are more qualified than some of them but we receive poor salaries” he added.

 Busia County 

KUPPET Busia branch Executive Eecretary Mr. Paul Namukuru. [PHOTO|Frankline Bwire|West Fm]

Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) Busia County has urged secondary school principals in the County to close their schools for the security of students until the ongoing teacher’s strike is officially called off.

Led by the branch Executive Secretary Paul Namukuru, the union leaders said students should be allowed to return home considering that most of the teachers have boycotted their duties at school over the ongoing strike.

“We are appealing to all heads of secondary schools to ensure their institutions are closed to protect students from insecurity that might arise during this strike,” said Namukuru, while speaking to journalists in Busia town.

He added that: “Teachers are not available at school and hence the security of students is not guaranteed.”

Namukuru who was accompanied by the branch chairman Alfred okochil maintained that as teachers in the County they will not relent until the government gives in into their demands of responsibility, leave, commuter and house allowances.

He also stressed that any intimidation from the government will not discourage teachers from fighting for their rights in the country.

“Our teachers should remain united at all times to ensure we attain our demands from the government,” said Namukuru

However, a spot check by West FM in various secondary schools established that learning has been paralyzed following the ongoing teachers strike, forcing students to undertake studies on their own.

Read more: http://westfm.co.ke/index.php?page=news&bid=9102#.UcmZOZTy1cc.twitter#ixzz2XEaX0CkP
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