Magoha asks Kuppet to withdraw strike notice, cites wrong timing

Education Cabinet Secretary Prof George Magoha yesterday called on Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) to withdraw its strike notice.

 Magoha said time was wrong for the union to call for a strike since national examinations were about to commence.

 Even as he said it was their democratic right to down tools to press for their demands, Magoha pleaded with the tutors to suspend the strike notice until the examinations have been done and marked.

 Speaking at Poiywek Mixed Day Secondary School in Ainamoi sub-county, Kericho county when he commissioned a Competency-Based Curriculum classroom, the CS said the government is out to ensure examinations are done in conducive environment without any disruption.

 “Our children are not like chess pieces to be played around with. So we are pleading with Kuppet officials to withdraw the strike notice immediately and let our candidates do examinations in a conducive environment without any disruption,” Magoha stated.

Salary review

 “If they like to continue with their intended strike, they can do it after the examinations. It is their democratic right to press for their issues but this is the wrong time to confuse our candidates,” the CS added.

 He, however, urged the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) chief executive Nancy Macharia to engage the union with a view to ironing their issues amicably.

 Kuppet has given TSC a seven-day ultimatum to respond to a salary review demand or face a nationwide strike.

 Union Secretary General Akello Misori claimed TSC had ignored its 21-day ultimatum and failed to table a counter-offer to proposals detailed in a signed agreement, saying teachers will fight for the salary increment this year.

 Magoha said the government is on course to constructing 10,000 classrooms this year. He said so far 2,300 classrooms have been constructed with about 560 having been commissioned with others nearing completion.