- Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba has been burning the midnight oil with meetings at Jogoo House.
- Kuppet, Knut and Uasu have issued strike notices when schools and universities reopen.
Image: PCS
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba faces an acid test to avert a looming crisis which threatens to paralyse learning in schools and universities.
Stakeholders argue that Ogamba's management and leadership skills will be tested after teachers and lecturers vowed to strike.
"No other CS has faced an imminent strike days after being sworn in than Ogamba and it would be interesting to see how he provides leadership on this matter," Education Policy analyst Peterson Oganga said.
The analyst, however, noted that Ogamba, being an experienced lawyer and politician, might find a way to avert a shutdown amicably.
A few days after Ogamba took over at Jogoo House, the Kenya Union of Post Primary Teachers (Kuppet) called for a teacher's strike planned for August 26 when schools are scheduled to open.
Despite Tuesday's talks with Labour CS Alfred Mutua, the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) has also registered its labour dispute with the Ministry of Labour.
At the same time, the Universities Academic Staff Union (Uasu) has also issued notice to go on strike over delays and non-payment of salaries.
The union has called for a national strike when the next academic year begins in September, threatening to paralyse learning in public universities.
There are fears that national examinations will be disrupted when the secondary school teachers begin their strike at the end of the month.
Form Four Students who will sit the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) in October could be the biggest casualties given that the strike will paralyse academic programmes including revision.
The teachers have vowed to proceed on strike claiming that the government has failed to implement the second phase of the 2021-2025 Collective Bargaining agreement.
They also want the 46,000 Junior Secondary School teachers (JSS) converted into permanent and pensionable terms and the promotion of 130,000 teachers, among others.
Despite being new in office, Ogamba is expected to find mechanisms to avert the looming crisis in public schools and steady preparations for this year’s national exams.
The Star understands that the CS has been burning the midnight oil, meeting top Education officials at Jogoo House to craft a strategy to arrest the situation.
Ogamba on Wednesday and Thursday held back-to-back meetings with the ministry’s top officials with more meetings lined up with the Teachers Service Commission (TSC).
President William Ruto is said to have issued orders to Ogamba to do all he can to avert the looming shutdown in public schools and universities.
On Friday, Kuppet Secretary General Akello Misori insisted that his union members will down tools on August 26.
“This is going to be the mother of all teachers' strikes and we are asking all parents not to send their children to school on August 26," Misori said.
“We are advising our teachers to stay as far away from schools as possible.’’
The last time Kuppet called for a nationwide strike was in 2015 and now the union official say their demands were not met.
“We have no option, we know it would be very unfortunate for our children but the strike is on,’’ insisted Misori.
Phase Two of the CBA was supposed to have been implemented in the July salaries but was not affected. TSC needs Sh13.5 billion to give teachers a pay rise.
At the same time, Kuppet has accused TSC of deducting loan repayments and National Social Security Fund contributions from the teachers ‘pay but failing to remit the same.
Kuppet has also claimed that the teachers’’ medical cover has collapsed despite the government allocating Sh15 billion in the current financial year.
A teachers’ strike in the third term of the academic year would interrupt preparations for the administration of national examinations.
Uasu Secretary General Constantine Wesonga said on Thursday that lecturers will be going on strike when the new academic year starts in September.
Wesonga claimed that universities do not remit statutory deductions including loans, pensions and other third parties.
“It is insensitive and inconsiderate for the government to withhold salaries of university staff. This has brought disrespect and embarrassment to our members,’’ Wesonga said.
He argued that some Uasu members have been sued by lending institutions over loan defaults for failing to service loans through the check-off system.