All public schools are expected to resume normalcy on Monday 5 October after the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) officially called off the strike on Saturday.
In a press briefing at Knut headquarters in Nairobi on Saturday, secretary general Wilson Sossion noted that the move was a result of an Employment and Labour relations court ruling which last week suspended the strike for 90 days pending further negotiations.
This brings to an end a five-week long strike that had totally paralysed learning across the nation with teachers demanding for a 50-60 per cent pay hike awarded to them in August.
According to Sossion, the strike remained suspended as per now as the two teacher unions pushed for an appeal challenging the pay rise.
“It was unfair that Justice Nelson Obuodha suspended the strike earlier last week but Justice Nduma Nderi failed to issue orders not to suspend it but let’s just forget everything and resume teaching,” he said.
He accused the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) of contravening the same court order by withholding teachers’ pay for the month of September.
“TSC has failed to comply with an earlier court order by withholding teachers’ pay for the month of September which we are making a follow up and will make an official communication before the end of next week,” Sossion noted.
He expressed confidence that the union will contest the decision in the court of appeal expressing confidence that at the end of it all, teachers will get justice.
The immediate huddle is to prepare both KCSE and KCPE candidates for the national exams which begin immediately after the Kenya National Examination Council (Knec) refused to revise the timetable.