Thousands of teachers deployed from primary schools to junior secondary schools have stepped up efforts to join the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet), citing inadequate representation, stalled career progression and unresolved employment concerns.
The teachers, who were transferred to junior secondary schools (JSS) under the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC), say their new roles have fundamentally changed their professional responsibilities, yet their employment conditions and union representation have not kept pace.
Led by Kuppet national treasurer Wicks Mwethi Njenga, the teachers on Monday submitted membership application forms, signalling their determination to shift from the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) to the union representing post primary educators.
They argued that their deployment to secondary school teaching should automatically entitle them to choose a union that adequately represents their interests.
Mr Njenga said the teachers had remained affiliated to Knut despite being assigned secondary school responsibilities, a situation he described as inconsistent with their constitutional right to freedom of association.
He cited Article 41 of the Constitution, which guarantees workers the right to join and participate in the activities of a trade union of their choice.
“Having been deployed from primary to secondary school, these teachers are now secondary school teachers. They have all filled forms to become members of Kuppet, and once the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) system is operational, we will facilitate their migration,” he said.
Mr Njenga noted that the teachers’ appointment letters identify them as post primary educators, with some serving in the grade of Secondary Teacher II.
He said the union was awaiting the restoration of the TSC online system to facilitate the processing of their membership applications.
The push comes against the backdrop of a prolonged dispute over the union affiliation of teachers deployed to JSS, with Kuppet maintaining that the educators should be free to choose their professional representatives.
Mr Njenga estimated that between 9,800 and 10,000 teachers had already moved from Knut to Kuppet but claimed that some were yet to have their membership formally recognised.
Beyond union membership, the teachers cited career advancement, transfers, retirement benefits and access to medical services as some of the pressing issues they want addressed.
Mr Njenga said the existing career progression framework had disadvantaged classroom teachers by making administrative appointments appear to be the main route to promotion.
He said Kuppet had successfully challenged the framework in court, paving the way for teachers to progress to higher job grades without necessarily being appointed deputy principals, principals or heads of departments.
The union wants classroom teachers to have clear opportunities to advance to senior grades, including D4, while continuing to teach.
“This has been a major challenge for these teachers. For them to be promoted, they have been asked whether they can become principals, yet some have never served as deputies or principals,” he said.
The teachers said the system had particularly affected those who joined junior secondary schools with higher academic qualifications but lacked opportunities for professional advancement.
They want the TSC to establish a career structure that recognises their qualifications, teaching responsibilities and subject specialisations, while granting junior secondary schools greater independence within the education system.
The teachers also want the commission to review the five year minimum service requirement for transfers, arguing that the policy has unnecessarily restricted their movement.
Mr Njenga said some teachers had served at their current stations for more than five years but continued to face difficulties securing transfers, including requests to reunite with their spouses.
He argued that the requirement should be reconsidered for teachers who had already spent considerable time at their stations before being deployed to JSS.
“We are demanding that the five year condition be removed for this group of teachers. Some have been in the same stations for even more than five years,” he said.
The union further raised concerns over teachers who retired before benefiting from salaries corresponding to their new qualifications and deployment.
Mr Njenga said some educators had left service with pension calculations based on their previous primary school salary grades, despite having acquired additional qualifications and being deployed to teach in secondary schools.
He called on the TSC to identify the affected retirees and review their pension benefits to ensure they reflect the appropriate salary scales.
Medical support was another concern raised by the teachers, with Mr Njenga saying Kuppet had established branch level structures to assist members experiencing difficulties accessing healthcare.
Protus Kanake, the national coordinator of deployed junior secondary school teachers, said the decision to join Kuppet followed years of dissatisfaction with their representation under Knut.
Mr Kanake, who was among the first group of teachers deployed to JSS in 2023, said representatives from counties across the country had met and resolved to support the migration.
He said the teachers believed Kuppet offered a stronger platform to pursue their demands for professional recognition, autonomy and career development.
“We have been in Knut for many years, but we have been neglected. When we go to primary school activities, we are not given roles. When it comes to games, our primary school counterparts are considered while we are left out,” he said.
Mr Kanake said some teachers had retired without benefiting from the opportunities they expected following their deployment, while others were nearing retirement without clear prospects for advancement.
He dismissed suggestions that deployed teachers lacked the experience to take up administrative responsibilities, noting that some had previously headed private schools before joining the TSC.
“We want the commission to listen to us and give us autonomy as early as now,” he said.
Njuguna Wanyoike, a teacher at Muguga Junior Secondary School and a representative of deployed teachers in Kiambu County, said the educators wanted reforms that would allow them to work and advance according to their qualifications and subject combinations.
He said teachers handling pre technical studies and creative arts had also been affected by challenges surrounding transfers and career progression.
Mr Wanyoike called for a more flexible transfer system that takes into account subject combination requirements, arguing that teachers should not be held back at stations where they had served for extended periods.
The membership drive comes ahead of Kuppet elections scheduled for Saturday, November 7, with the deployed teachers saying they intend to participate in the exercise.
Mr Njenga said teachers whose membership had been confirmed through their application forms and TSC payroll records would be eligible to vote.
Maureen Makena, an aspirant for the junior secondary secretary position in Kiambu County, urged the teachers to turn out in large numbers and support candidates committed to addressing their concerns.
She said the union would use its national and county structures to push for the implementation of reforms sought by the deployed educators.
The teachers maintained that their decision to join Kuppet went beyond union affiliation, saying it was a broader demand for professional recognition, independence and equitable treatment within the junior secondary school system.
They want the TSC to address their concerns before the transition to the new education structure leaves them permanently disadvantaged in matters of employment, career advancement and representation.
