Kenya: Teachers on nationwide strike

  1. Posted on Monday 19 January 2009 - 15:40
    CHANNY
    Image of CHANNY
    Alex Kiarie, AfricaNews reporter in Nairobi, Kenya
    Kenya public school teachers began a nationwide strike action on Monday hampering learning. The teachers are protesting the government's failure to implement their salary increment agreed upon over 10 years back. AfricaNews reporter saw a number of students and pupils returning home on Monday.
    classroom in Kenya
    Attempts by Kenya's Education Minister Professor Sam Ongeri to avert the impending strike came to naught on Sunday. The officials of the giant Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) snubbed him. Our correspondent said the officials are said to be in a secret hiding place planning the way forward.

    Speaking to AfricaNews on phone, the chairman of KNUT, George Wesonga said the government’s adamant attitude in tackling the teachers' salary triggered their action.

    Meanwhile, Prof. Ongeri has issued a statement condemning the teachers’ strike as illegal and threatened to withhold the salaries of teachers who will participate in the strike.

    Last Friday, the Ministry of Education through the Teachers Service Commission had obtained an injunction against KNUT to stop the teachers strike until the matter is heard in court. But the injunction was not served to the KNUT officials, since the offices were closed. Court officials had no option but to pin the injunction on the doors of the KNUT offices.

    Last Monday, the government's bid to divide the teachers by entering into negotiations with KNUT's rival - Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) - came a cropper as teachers disowned the new union. The teachers maintained that they only recognize KNUT as the body that fights for their welfare.

    Kenyan education experts fear that the teachers strike will disrupt the selection of last year's candidates who are set to join secondary schools in late February. It is not known for how long the strike will persist. Attempts to talk to the Education Minister were fruitless as sources say he was locked up in a crisis meeting with senior ministry officials.

Latest News

  1. OPINION: Welcome to African Green Revolution24/05For the past century and a half, Africa has tried various agricultural approaches without much success.
  2. Egyptians vote in historic election23/05Egyptians began voting freely on Wednesday for the first time to pick their president in a wide open election that pits Islamists against men who serv…
  3. Africa Day 2012 - a moment for reflection and…22/0525th May is Africa Day. For many years it has been a celebration of African unity. It dates back to 1963 when the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) …
  4. South Africa's African agenda21/05The Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa, Kgalema Mothlanthe paid a rare visit to Ghana in April at the invitation of John Dramani Mahama …
  5. Women struggle to rinse hunger, poverty stains21/05Just looking at her one clearly appreciates that she is old and frail therefore in need of support for food, clothing and shelter to live comfortably …
  6. Climate Climate change affects migratory birds…21/05Changes in the climate globally have affected the movement of both migratory and resident species of birds, Nature Uganda has said.
  7. Ghana: Foreign retailers cited for currency…18/05The Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) is attributing the sharp depreciation of the Ghana cedi against major currencies to the illegal activiti…
  8. Kenya: Community radio brings succour to…18/05Korogocho, a slum in northeastern Nairobi with 100,000 inhabitants, had many of the ingredients for a political explosion similar to those that rocked…
  9. Veld fires 'flame' Zimbabwe's…16/05Over the years, Zimbabwe has experienced the scourge of veld fires destroying property worth thousands of dollars.
  10. Liberia commends ECOWAS for support14/05The induction training of pioneer Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Volunteers for Liberia kicked off in Monrovia, with the Deputy Mi…
  11. Vanishing Lake Chad puts 30m lives at risk14/05As you approach the Lake Chad basin from Maiduguri, in north-eastern Nigeria, the evidence of despair is telling.
  12. Heavy rains cause havoc in Kenya14/05Heavy Rainfall continued to wreak havoc across the country leading to the suspension of relief food in some parts of the country as most roads in Turk…
  13. Zimbabwe: Growth points lie dormant14/05The Zimbabwean government mooted the concept of growth points in the 1980s as a means of decongesting cities and towns.
  14. Sierra Leone improves in infant mortality11/05Sierra Leone has improved in infant mortality cases according to Save the Children- World Motherhood index 2012 report. The West Africa country descri…
  15. Zimbabwe: Resettled farmers fail to utilize…10/05Resettled farmers in Zimbabwe are failing to utilize land due to inadequate farming inputs and lack of resources.
News archive