Kenyan authorities have cancelled a pay hike they awarded to teachers five years ago after 240 000 teachers began a strike early this week to demand the government honour the salary agreement, officials said on Wednesday.
A gazette notice to be published on Friday by Education Minister Henry Kosgey revokes the 200% pay rise given to teachers 1997, said an education ministry official.
The 1997 pay hike, granted in the run-up to general elections that year, was to be implemented over a five-year period, but only the first 45% of the pay rise ever materialised.
Kenya’s education system has been crippled since Monday when teachers in government-run primary and secondary schools around the east African country went on an indefinite strike to demand that the state fully implement the salary increase agreement.
An official of the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT), which negotiated the pay deal with the government, said the minister’s decision to cancel the pay award was illegal.
”The minister has no powers to revoke a legal notice of an agreement reached and signed between two parties. His role is only to implement the agreement,” said Ahaya Juma Ahaya, the secretary of
KNUT’s Mombasa branch.
Ahaya said that, since the 1997 pay rise was the result of a contract arrived at between the a government-appointed committee and KNUT, revocation of that agreement would require the consent of
both parties.
He said the minister’s action would only strengthen the teachers’ resolve to remain on strike.
The strike has crippled the country’s state-run schools as crucial general elections approach.
Kenya is gearing up for general elections in December, when long-time President Daniel arap Moi is due to stand down. – Sapa-AFP