Former lobby group laud state, TSC for reinstating them back to workstations

The former members of  Kenya National Teachers Pressure Group (KNTPG) have lauded the government and Teachers Service Commission for reinstating their members to their former workstations after they were transferred.

Led by their former chairman Kinyua Mwangi, they said their colleagues were harassed after opposing their plans for the Teachers Development Programme Module which wanted the teachers to have licences.

Speaking to the Star in Narok town, Kinyua said that if it was not for the Kenya Kwanza government and the intervention of TSC CEO Nancy Macharia, their goose would have already been cooked.

He said that their 17  members were transferred to far-flung areas to stop them from continuing to fight for their teachers' rights.

“Our members were subjected to untold sufferings while others were sacked so that the former government could continue with the programmes without any objections. We are happy that the new administration listened to our plights and work according to the constitution and brought back our members to their new work station,” Kinyua said.

He added:

“We sat with the TSC officials with my colleague Eva Muchemi and had a fruitful discussion on how to help our members and all the teachers across the country. We are happy that we got the much-needed audiences with them and that cemented the good working relations between the employer and employees.”

The official accused some unions of being behind their woes for fearing the competition from their lobby group which comprised teachers from primary, secondary schools and tertiary institutions.

“These unions were being used by the powerful individuals so that they can get money for teachers for campaigns and made us punished for our hardline stands," he alleged.

The ex-chairman said that they would not transform the lobby into a union but would use a friendlier name to request for the new union that would cut across the entire education sector.

“We request the registrar of a trade union to accelerate which is currently in his office and we met all the legal terms required to get a new union. “Kinyua said.