KUPPET National Chairman Omboko Milemba expressed deep concerns over the rejection of the Finance Bill, 2024, citing resultant problems with consequent budget cuts. He scoffed at the proposal for a second phase of the 2021-2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement, arguing that the document had been accordingly signed by all parties.
Speaking during the recent farewell for the mother of the union’s National Assistant Treasurer Ronald Tunoi in Bomet Central Constituency, Bomet County, Milemba revealed that KUPPET had engaged in discussions with the National Assembly Education Committee, TSC, and the Treasury over issues affecting teachers.
While this, Phase two of the CBA had been given an initial allocation of Ksh13.3 billion, which is only 10 percent of the required amount. Milemba urged that this be attended to first and foremost, calling for the payment of the CBA.
He also raised the need for Junior Secondary School teachers to be recruited on permanent and pensionable terms, in which he wants all the 46,000 interns employed. “We fought very hard to make sure that interns are in the budget,” he said.
He criticized the proposal for elimination of medical coverage for teachers, more so the Group Life Cover. “These teachers will not have the health to teach our children,” said Mr. Milemba. Therefore, at the very least, the medical cover and the Group Life Cover should be improved and retained.
Despite all that, Milemba still sympathized with the government and thanked teachers for keeping calm and not taking part in the recent protests. “We understand that the government has challenges. I appreciate these teachers because they have remained very calm,” he concluded.