MPs expose Knut leaders incompetence, out of touch with teachers

The Members of Parliament (MPs) through the National Assembly Education committee chaired by Tinderet MP Julius Melly on Tuesday exposed the highest level of incompetency and unawareness of the Knut top leadership on teachers matters.

This is after the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) failed, for the third time, to prosecute their case against the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) on promotion and employment of tutors.

Education Committee demanded details of claims by Knut on the number of teachers who have served for more than six months in acting capacity.

The MPs also wanted the union to give a detailed proposal that would guide the teachers promotion.

Knut was also expected to give a detailed financial implication as well as teachers acting as heads of institutions, which they claimed did not benefit from salary increase.

In their presentation KNUT was also put to task to tabulate teachers moved to junior secondary and who are not earning recommended pay.

However, when the Union’s Secretary Collins Oyuu spoke said TSC is best suited to provide detailed data, defeating the purpose of their appearance before the committee.

MPs took a jab at Oyuu, faulting his ill-preparedness to pitch his case before them.

Melly accused Oyuu of not showing commitment in addressing the challenges facing teachers even as he requested an audience with MPs.

“You are the voice of the teachers who are supposed to know their problem and advise them accordingly. The late Adongo had issues of the union on his finger tips. We cannot buy your argument you need to have parallel information with commission,” Melly said.

In his presentation, Oyuu said TSC is the only centralised body which can authoritatively collect and collate’ such information and data.

“Knut has since established from TSC records that 1,011 teachers in job group M (C5) had raised the complaint for having not been promoted to job group M/N (D1),” Oyuu said

Oyuu said the complaints came from senior graduate teachers, senior approved teachers and senior ordinary diploma teachers, after vetting, only 310 teachers qualified for promotion.

He accused TSC of promoting teachers to serve in acting capacity knowing well they are not qualified.

 MPs however said the union had not done enough to enlighten teachers on what is required in the next job group before taking the offer.

Melly said the union failed to raise issues with the committee as a matter of concern.