Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) has locked horns with the teacher’s employer over terms of tutors serving on contract.

The union has faulted recent remarks by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) that the teachers presently on contract will serve for another one year before their terms of service are reviewed.

TSC told MPs last week intern teachers will have to wait for another one year before the government confirms them to permanent and pensionable.

TSC Director of Teachers Staffing Antonina Lentoijoni said that the 46,000 teachers will have their terms of employment automatically changed to permanent and pensionable (PNP) after two years of service.

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“There are two sets of interns. There are those who started on February 1, and those who began working on September 1. The ones we are talking about sending letters of extension of contract for another one year in December are for those in February,” Lentoijoni said.

She spoke when TSC officials appeared before the National Assembly Education Committee chaired by Tinderet MP Julius Melly.

However, Kuppet yesterday said the TSC must honour its earlier commitment and absorb the teachers to permanent and pensionable immediately their first year term ends.

Kuppet Secretary General Akelo Misori said the proposal on teachers currently serving on internship contracts in primary and Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) will demoralise them.

“Whereas the teachers employment contract clearly stipulates that they were to serve as interns for only one year, the TSC has not taken the necessary steps to employ them on a permanent basis from January 2024 when their current contract expires,” Misori said.

He argued that teachers have exhibited their patriotism to the nation by going out of their way to offer services to learners despite the hard-working environment.

“Service on internship is nothing short of a patriotic act. These teachers who have persevered the challenges of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) transition and learnt valuable lessons from the process should be immediately confirmed to permanent and pensionable so that they can help stabilize their institutions in the new year as JSS gets to the second year of Grade Eight,” Misori said.

The union observed that even with the meagre salary they get, the teachers are subjected to taxes and statutory deductions like their counterparts in the service.

“The teachers have persevered in an extremely demoralizing condition of service. They are paid just half of their deserved salary. They enjoy medical insurance and do not contribute to the same pension scheme for teachers. Ironically, they are taxed at the same level as other teachers of their grade, including mandatory housing levy and NSSF contribution,” Kuppet Secretary-General said.

Misori noted that the situation is even worse for JSS teachers who have been placed to work under primary school heads.

“In some schools, the JSS teachers have been forced to purchase their own teaching aid including textbooks, pens, writing pads, and chalks since primary schools where they work do not provide these basic necessities in the required quantities,” he said.

1. Kenya Revenue Authority.

For anyone who gets an internship at KRA it is a dream come true. This is because in the month of May every year internship is offered. The application can be done majorly in two ways. The first way is by traveling to Times Tower with your hardcopy KRA documents and living them at the KRA offices or one can use the postal office to send the application. THE address is P.O Box 48240-00100 Nairobi. At KRA an intern earns between 10000 to 30000 shillings per month. One can also be offered a contract of 3 years after impressive work and this comes along with a salary of up to 59000 shillings per month

2. Accounting and audit firms.

Some accounting and audit firms are very useful and supportive to their interns because they pay them salaries. (PWC) Private Waterhouse Coo which sometimes employs interns is known to pay them between 40000 shillings to 59000shillings. This amount is fair since it allows the intern to manage his duty with few or no financial constrains which may jeopardize his services.

3. Media companies.

Radio Africa is one of the companies which has been noted for some time to be providing payment to interns. Kiss TV, Classic 105 and Kiss FM are owned by this firm. A privilege to work at this media house as an intern is an assurance of a payment of not less than 34500 shillings payment for interns per month.

4. Kenya National Bureau of Statistics.

This institution is concerned with collection of data and tis is occurs as often as every day. It is thus good to not that this kind of work requires to carry out the data collection process. For interns here 5000 shillings is paid monthly. The advantage many interns have at KNBS is that the experience here alone acts as a great booster to them in the job market and chances of getting internship here is 90% possible.

5. Madison Insurance.

Madison insurance is one of the insurance companies which employs interns almost at any month of the year. If you are fortunate enough to get employment at Madison you have high chances of being retained. At Madison Insurance intern are paid a monthly salary of 20000 shillings.

6. Cooperative Bank.

In the early days Cooperative Bank was known for recruiting graduate trainees but all that has changed. Currently the bank mainly recruits sales people as such you can easily apply for sales vacancy even when you are still in school. At Cooperative bank interns earn a salary of 10000 shillings to 30000 shillings.

7. Regulatory Authority.

This government institution is mainly concerned with the field of actuarial science. If you are lucky to succeed after applying for internship here. You can have as much as 35000 shillings and above as you payment every month at your internship.

8. Brookside Dairy Limited.

It is headquartered in Ruiru. Most of the jobs here are in one way or another related to sales executives. The chances of having an interview here is 85%. Interns can earn 5000 shillings in a month as salary.

9. Lake Basin Development Authority.

It is a government company that is centered on helping the social and economic lives of the people found within the Lake Victoria basin. Interns here are from various faculties like business, accounts, economics, and community health among others. Interns receive 5500 shillings monthly.

10. United Nations.

After a big outcry around the world, the United Nations resorted to paying its interns. In Kenya the United Nation is one of the agencies that offers internship to those who apply for it. The interns at any UN agencies in Kenya earn not less than 10000 shillings.