Learning in Kisumu County was paralysed as teachers took to the streets demanding their salary increment as was ruled by the country's highest courts.
Speaking to the press along Oginga Odinga Street, Kisumu branch Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Treasurer Paul Roche said teachers will not go back to work until the government increases their salary.
"All our children are back at home, teachers are not teaching and we shall make sure we paralyse learning in totality," said Roche.
He added: "What we are demanding for is our right we ought to have been given in 2013. We are putting the government on notice that immediately this CBA collapses in 2018, we shall demand a fresh one."
Roche said the government must respect the courts in reference to ruling by the Industrial and Supreme courts. He said that according to an audit report, the country has lost Sh70 billion and the teachers are asking for 17 billion.
"Unless this money is released to us, we shall not report back to class. If the money can be released as we are here, the teachers will report in seconds. We are warning the national officials not to meet the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) for consultative meetings," he added.
KNUT Executive Secretary Kisumu County Joshua Ogalo said that the teaching fraternity is asking for Sh4.9 billion for 2015.
"As teachers, we don't want Kenyans to encourage impunity when the courts have decided that we are supposed to be paid. Let the government pay us," said Ogalo.
He said that teachers have only been awarded four per cent of the salary increment since 1997.
"The judges went through everything and found that teachers need a salary increment of 50 to 60 per cent. Teachers are not going to class until we are paid. We don't want to build anarchy in Kenya but we want to establish the rule of law," said Ogalo.