Teachers across the country have been urged to postpone their planned strike and give both the government and parliament time to pass a reviewed finance bill that will include provisions for their salary increment.
Gem Member of Parliament, Elisha Odhiambo stated that that the government has limited options at the moment following the rejection of Finance Bill 2024 and the subsequent dismissal of the 2023 Finance Bill by the courts.
Speaking at Nyangulu secondary school in East Gem ward, where he handed over a new school bus, Odhiambo appealed to teachers moderate their demands and allow parliament to discharge its mandate.
“I want to ask teachers. Let us take things slowly. Allow us as parliament to pass the reviewed finance bill 2024 and you will be paid in arrears” said Odhiambo during the event, which was also attended by Gem Yala Deputy County Commissioner, John Otieno.
The lawmaker noted that no country can function without taxes and assured that parliament would ensure the controversial proposed taxes, which sparked the recent protests would not be included in the revised finance bill.
“The only taxes we disagreed with were those on bread and sanitary pads,” he said expressing optimism that the new Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi would soon present a reviewed bill acceptable to all Kenyans.
The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) has issued a strike notice to the Teachers Service Commission saying industrial action will commence on August 26 if the 2021-2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) is not implemented.
Issues in the CBA include the conversion of Junior Secondary School teachers and recruitment of 20,000 teachers on permanent and pensionable terms.
The union has also accused TSC of breaching the agreement for failing to implement the second phase of the Addendum effective from July 1, 2024, for all teachers, including basic salaries and allowances.
