Governor Barasa urges dialogue to resolve teachers' strike

Kakamega Governor Fernandes Barasa has asked Kuppet to give dialogue a chance in the standoff over terms of employment.

The supremacy wars between the Kenya Union for Post Primary Education Teachers and the tutors' employer was making an already bad situation worse.

While teachers' welfare deserves attention, the union should consider the negative impact of the prolonged stalemate on learners.

This is especially so for students who are set to sit national examinations starting next month.

“We recognise the fact that teachers have a right to strike but we are urging them to give dialogue a chance because you are also parents,” Barasa said. 

He also asked the Teachers Services Commission boss to consider the tutors' grievances.

“I’m urging TSC boss Nancy Macharia to give an offer that is agreeable to teachers for learning to resume.”

The two sides should reach common ground to avoid disrupting learning, as third term marks exam season in the school calendar.

Barasa was addressing mourners during the funeral of Margaret Lukote at Matsakha grounds in Malava constituency on Saturday.

Lukote was deputy principal of Malava Girls’ Secondary School.

The governor thanked President William Ruto for his spirited efforts to unite the country through inclusion of opposition leaders in the broad-based government.

The decision by Ruto to reach out to opposition leader Raila Odinga for a working code was the sure way to achieve stability in the country, he added. 

“We thank the President for officially unveiling Raila’s candidature for the AUC. We have confidence that Raila will never able to attack unity in Africa because there’s no one experienced like Raila and as leaders we wish him the best."

Secondary school teachers begun their strike to push for full implementation of their 2021-2025 CBA. 

They also want the government to confirm all Juniors Secondary School teachers on permanent and pensionable terms and scrap career development guidelines and revert to the old scheme of service.

The union also wants a review of the teachers’ medical cover, under which it say its members were receiving a raw deal.

On Friday, three Kuppet officials from Kakamega were arrested at dawn for allegedly attempting to remove teachers who were willing to work.

This followed a complaint by one school.