Junior Secondary School teachers in Kericho threaten to strike in January

Junior Secondary School (JSS) teachers in Kericho have threatened to go on strike and withdraw their services once schools reopen for the first term should the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) fail to employ them on permanent and pensionable terms.

The JSS teachers issued a three-week notice to their employer saying they do not want a renewal of contracts as interns come January next year.

Mary Rotich, the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) Kericho branch executive, said: “We are saying come January, they are going to renew the contracts. We are not taking anything less than confirmation, we ask TSC not to renew the contracts of these teachers...we want TSC to confirm all JSS interns who were employed in January 2023.”

The intern teachers have also decried the Ksh.19,000 monthly wage saying that it falls short of the minimum wage and does not meet their needs

Allan Kirui, a JSS teacher, compared their treatment by TSC to the ‘Shakahola massacre,’ adding that they will be forced to down their tools if their demands are not met.

“Let me tell the whole country the junior secondary school experience is like shakahola massacre, some teachers have worked for 10 months without confirmation. We’re telling TSC  to move with speed and confirm 21,000 teachers,” Kirui said.