Teachers now want Uhuru, Ruto to resign over pay dispute
Teachers on Sunday stepped up their pressure for a pay increase by asking President Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto to resign for failing them.
Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teacher (Kuppet) boss Akello Misori accused President Kenyatta and his deputy of taking teachers for a ride.
Mr Misori said leaders in developed countries, who fail the citizens, resign to pave the way for others to take charge and challenged the President to do the same.
“It is sad to note that the President can openly admit that the country has no money to fund the teachers’ pay rise. That will be contempt of the highest order,” he said.
Mr Misori asked the President to respect to the Judiciary and ensure funds are released by the National Treasury to pay teachers.
“Mr Kenyatta, as the Head of State, should take lead in protecting the Constitution and should not seek to blatantly breach it to achieve selfish ends,” he said.
The Kuppet secretary-general was speaking at a Bomet hotel during the annual assembly of branch officials.
“If the government is not willing to pay teachers so that they can resume classes, which teachers are they assuming will be willing to go back to class?” Mr Misori posed.
He said threats from the government would not make teachers relent on their demands.
Instead, he said, the threats only make teachers become bolder in demanding their rights.
He said it was unfortunate that the government says it has no money to pay teachers yet the Education Ministry could not account for Sh12 billion allocated to it in the last financial year while Sh17 billion set aside for the laptop project remained unused.