Nairobi.
The Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) has announced its intention to call for a nationwide teachers’ strike starting in September, in response to the government’s failure to implement the second phase of the 2021-2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), which was due to take effect in July.
Kuppet Secretary General Akello Misori expressed profound frustration over the government’s continued reductions in the education budget, while other sectors appear to be misallocating resources. “Teachers received their July payments without the agreed-upon increments, which were already negotiated, signed, and submitted to the Industrial and Labour Relations Court,” Misori stated.
The union has voiced concern over recent government financial decisions that have further strained the education sector. Last year, the government increased university and college fees to relieve institutional financial pressures. However, Misori highlighted that this move has exacerbated the problem. “University liabilities have surged from Sh61 billion to Sh75 billion, and student loans are significantly delayed, compounding the issue,” he said.
Additionally, the reduction in Free Day Secondary School (FDSE) capitation funds by 24 percent—from Sh22,244 per learner per year to Sh17,000—has intensified the strain on schools. Despite repeated appeals for increased funding to counteract high inflation, the government has also retracted its commitment to hiring 20,000 new teachers and converting 46,000 intern teachers to permanent positions, a decision supported by a Sh18 billion budget. This contrasts sharply with the Sh54 billion allocated for state officers’ entertainment and travel.
Misori also pointed out the adverse impact of the government’s discontinuation of the Edu-Afya medical insurance program earlier this year, which had provided coverage for approximately 3.5 million public secondary school students through the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF). “The removal of this crucial program has significantly increased the financial burden on parents, affecting students’ well-being and access to necessary medical care,” he added.
The Kuppet National Governing Council is convening to address what it describes as unprecedented cuts to the education budget, comparing their impact to the severe Structural Adjustment Programmes of the mid-1980s.
Misori underscored the detrimental effects of these budget cuts and the unfulfilled CBA agreement on the education sector, particularly at the Junior Secondary School (JSS) level, which faces a teacher deficit exceeding 87,000. “The current situation undermines the quality of education and teacher morale,” he said.
In response, Kuppet is mobilizing its members for a national strike set to begin in September. The strike aims to demand the full implementation of the 2021-2025 CBA, the hiring of 20,000 new teachers, and the conversion of 46,000 intern teachers to permanent positions.
“The unacceptable wastage of resources in other sectors contrasts sharply with the dire needs of our education system. The proposed Sh18 billion cut would irreparably harm teaching at Junior Secondary Schools, which rely heavily on intern teachers,” Misori concluded.