Govt Tackles Teachers’ Strike with Ksh13.5B Payment and New Hiring Initiatives

Public school teachers will receive their salary increments for July and August by the end of this week, following the government’s release of Ksh 13.5 billion as part of the 2021-2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

The Ministry of Education insisted it is committed to resolving the ongoing strike affecting some teachers by addressing all pending administrative issues through the Teachers Service Commission (TSC).

The Ministry has also reassured parents about the safety of students returning to school for the third term despite the confusion surrounding the strike called by KUPPET. On Sunday, KNUT ended its national strike after engaging with the government. However, KUPPET has urged its members to remain out of schools until issues related to unpaid salaries and promotions are resolved.

Education CS Julius Migos Ogamba stated that the government is working diligently to ensure all pending payments to teachers are processed. He also mentioned that negotiations with KUPPET are ongoing, with the goal of resolving the deadlock to ensure smooth learning across the country.

“As part of implementing the 2021-2025 CBA, the national treasury has released Ksh 13.5 billion to ensure that public school teachers receive their July and August salary arrears by Friday,” CS Ogamba said.

Despite the ongoing impasse, Ogamba noted that students have continued to return to school following KNUT’s decision to end the strike. He made these remarks while addressing the press at Lake Naivasha Resort during the opening of the 54th International Conference of the Association of Technical Universities and Polytechnics in Africa (ATUPA).

The CS also announced that by the end of the year, the government plans to fully employ the 20,000 intern teachers currently working in Junior Secondary Schools. “We are seeking additional funds to also employ the 46,000 intern teachers, as the government is committed to addressing the teacher shortage in the country,” he added.

During the ceremony, CS Ogamba distributed appointment letters to 2,000 trainers who will be posted to 242 TVET institutions nationwide. He highlighted, “With over 7,000 TVET trainers currently in the country, this new batch will help address the acute shortage, as we need more than 15,000 teachers.”

Meanwhile, PS for TVET Esther Muoria announced the rollout of the Recognition of Prior Learning program. This initiative aims to evaluate and certify technically skilled Jua Kali personnel with appropriate qualifications. She reported that over 700 graduates have already received formal certification following assessments of their technical knowledge and skills.

Muoria encouraged Kenyans who have acquired skills informally to come forward for certification, which will facilitate access to job opportunities.

“We call upon Kenyans who have gained skills informally to get certified through the government assessment framework or our national technical institutions,” said the PS.

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