The Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) has officially called off its two-week-long teachers’ strike following a breakthrough deal with the Teachers Service Commission (TSC).
The agreement was reached on Monday evening, bringing relief to parents, students, and the education sector after some schools had begun sending learners home due to the disruption.
KUPPET Secretary General Akelo Misori announced the suspension of the strike, urging all teachers to return to their classrooms immediately.
“From the union side, we suspend the strike and ask all our teachers to go back to class pending the speedy resolution of these matters as already agreed on between us and the commission,” Misori stated.
Misori also indicated that further communication would be made following a court ruling expected on Thursday, which could impact the remaining unresolved issues.
TSC CEO Nancy Macharia confirmed that the parties have agreed to pursue alternative dispute resolution mechanisms as outlined in the recognition agreement between the union and the commission.
Macharia assured that no teacher would face victimization as a result of participating in the strike.
The strike, which began on August 16, 2024, saw KUPPET teachers demanding the promotion of 130,000 teachers, the absorption of 46,000 Junior Secondary School (JSS) teachers on permanent and pensionable terms, and the remittance of statutory deductions and loans.
They also pushed for the full implementation of their 2021-2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), payment of all emoluments for July, and the release of Ksh15 billion for their medical cover.
Macharia emphasized that the government has already provided funds for the implementation of phase two of the 2021-2025 CBA, which was due on July 1, 2024.
“After a daylong meeting, we are happy to report to the nation that we have reached an amicable settlement which will enable our teachers to resume duty immediately,” she said.
