The teachers’ union in Kisumu County has defied the court order restraining teachers from participating in a planned strike, and instead rallied their members in boycotting classrooms, paralysing learning in public schools in the process.
A check in most primary and secondary schools in the county revealed no attendance for teachers, save for school heads, while few pupils reported to school, only to return on finding no teachers.
Kisumu East Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) branch executive secretary Joshua Ogalo lauded teachers for heeding their call of striking in demand of a pay rise.
“I want to appreciate our teachers for obeying our call to keep off schools, we want the government to increase our pay as earlier agreed,” he said.
Ogalo added that day one of the strike was successful, and called upon teachers to remain out of classes until the government pays the salary increment.
He said they were organising for a massive demonstration in Kisumu later on Monday, and the subsequent days as a way of pushing the government to act.
“We have lined up a series of demonstrations in Kisumu town to compel the government to act fast and address our plight,” he said.
The Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Kisumu County chairman Zablon Awange on the other hand warned the government to brace for further industrial action.
Awange said talks should commence between the government and the union officials to bring the strike to an end, adding that KUPPET members will not demonstrate in the streets but will picket and stay away from classrooms.
“The government should act now and initiate dialogue instead of keeping quite when Kenyan children can not access the basic education,” he said.