This archive report was first published on 27 August 2019.
On Tuesday, a delegation of Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) officials from Nyanza met with opposition leader Raila Odinga at his Capitol Hill Square offices to seek his advice and intervention in their ongoing dispute with the Teachers Service Commission (TSC).
According to Raila's spokesperson, Dennis Onyango, the KNUT officials were concerned about the TSC's failure to remit commission to the union for two months, as well as the interdiction of about 280 teachers, including KNUT officials, who missed the new curriculum workshop in April.
KNUT and TSC have been embroiled in a fierce tussle over issues such as teacher transfers and promotions, as well as the failure by the teachers' employer to remit union dues collected from salaries of KNUT members.
During the meeting, Raila Odinga urged the KNUT officials to continue prioritizing dialogue and negotiations before resorting to strikes, assuring them that he had been trying to help bring all parties to the negotiating table and ensure a harmonious relationship between KNUT, TSC, and the Ministry of Education.
As schools prepare to reopen for the Third Term, KNUT has threatened to paralyze learning if the dispute is not resolved.
