KUPPET’s much anticipated strike kicked off yesterday in Kericho County, where they aired strong demands on the government to confirm all 46,000 Junior Secondary School teachers.
Kuppet Kericho branch Secretary, Mary Rotich, urged the Government to clarify its stand on employment for JSS by being in tune with one voice and consistency in communication for the allocation of funds meant for their employment. Rotich castigated conflicting utterances by Government officials over the availability of funds meant for the employment of JSS.
“It’s demoralizing when today you hear a senior government official saying there are no funds for the JSS program and then on the second day, the same official is saying there is money. We need transparency on the issue and people entrusted with such a responsibility should not talk from both sides of the mouth,” said Rotich.
Joined by KUPPET Chairperson Jonah Korir, Rotich addressed the press after leading a demonstration through the streets of Kericho. She also spoke about deteriorating health coverage, citing a reduction in budgetary allocation for medical cover from Ksh22 billion to Ksh11 billion and warning that the quality of healthcare service teachers receive will continue to fall further.
“If teachers were not receiving adequate medical care when the budget was high, it is obvious now that the service will go from bad to worse,” he added.
The union also asked for the urgent recognition of postgraduate degree holders in the teaching profession; such qualified individuals are being elbowed out of promotion by TSC, they argued.
The day culminated in the march through the major streets of Kericho and ended with a meeting at Moi Garden for prayers and speeches.