Retired teachers to stage sit-in at AG office

Pensionable teachers will stage a sit-in at the Attorney General chambers starting September 5. The retired teachers — about 52,338 —said they will protest against the delay by the state to clear their salary arrears, pension and allowances. They have not recived the pay — amounting to Sh42 billion — for the last 15 years.

When they met on Friday in Nakuru, they promised they will not leave AG Githu Muigai's office until they are paid. The group has termed the move as their last resort and vowed not to leave the office until the Sh42 billion they are owed has been paid in full. The retired teachers said they will march around the offices of Githu, Prime Minister and the President until the government heed to their demand.

They said the AG had given them a false promise they would be paid. Githu, they said, had called their lawyer recently and promised the funds would be deposited in their accounts in seven days. "We are not going back home till we get our money. More than 2,000 of us have died waiting for the payment while hundreds others are terminally sick and cannot access treatment for lack of money," the group's secretary Gidraph Kimatta said.

On July 18, the teachers presented a memorandum to the AG and the officials from his office promised to convene a meeting between them and representatives from the Finance ministry, director of pensions and the controller of budget within a week. However, the meeting the officials have not organised the meeting yet.

The retired teachers demanded in court for up to Sh42 billion following years of accrued interest on their unpaid salary arrears and allowances. The government lost a court battle in 2010 over the delay and was ordered by the Court of Appeal to pay the teachers.