The Kenya national union of teachers, KNUT, through its secretary general collins Oyuu, has denied claims that its leadership signed and approved the Teachers Professional Development (TPD) plan by the Teachers Service Commission.

Oyuu decried the blames they are receiving as leaders yet they just attended the launch of the TPD implementation programme but neither signed nor approved anything.

These statements come at a time when the contracted institutions are seriously marketing their TPD programmes, with some like Mount Kenya university ready to launch the program in December 2021.

A section of teachers, most of whom were affiliated to KNUT, had launched a fight against TPD and teacher unions under the famous Kenya national teachers pressure group, but unfortunately, they got scattered through abrupt transfers to far flung hardship areas.

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Speaking about TPG, Oyuu urged teachers to be role models by following proper channels to air their grievances.

“Teachers should be disciplined in airing their grievances through proper channels. This way they will go a long way in being role models to students,” he said.

Oyuu said the media may have reported cases of teachers who say the recent transfers by the TSC were punitive, but the union is yet to receive any formal complaint.

He said the new Knut leadership has adopted quiet diplomacy in dealing with the TSC rather than “making noise without proper agenda. We are offering genuine leadership for professionals instead of making noise.”

Knut has also called for a review of the 100 per cent transition policy, saying it might be a contributor to the wave of school fires.

Oyuu said the policy has led to high enrolment in schools, straining infrastructure

“The full transition is part of major factors contributing to school fires as infrastructures are strained, with dormitories and dining halls turned into triple-decker dorms. Teacher to students ratio has been strained as well,” he said.

Speaking in Awendo, Oyuu urged the Education ministry to involve all stakeholders in investigating and finding solutions to the fires.

Oyuu said indisciplined children have ended up in schools, thanks to the policy, and they put pressure on disciplined students.

“We need teachers and schools’ administrations to always ask parents about the discipline of their children, especially those they suspect to be crooks. Parents should also alert teachers about indisciplined children,” he said.

In what seemed like an opposition to Sosssion’s opinion, Oyuu dismissed calls to abolish boarding schools as shallow and uncalled for.

“We have parents who are outside the country and having boarding schools is the best for them. Teachers have the capacity to manage boarding schools. If all boarding schools are closed, will day schools also be closed when fire persists?” he said.

The Kenya National Union of Teachers, KNUT secretary general Collins Oyuu, has cautioned the media from pushing teachers to the wall so that they complain about KNUT and their employer, the teachers service commission. Referring to the media as members of the fourth estate, Oyuu told them that they are putting teachers in deep trouble since they are using a wrong channel to air their frustrations. Click here to watch his video.

“And you members of the fourth estate, don’t push our teachers to the wall to get them complaining even through the media. You are spoiling for them. You are making them not to understand the right channel to use,” said Oyuu.

The KNUT boss urged teachers to use the right channel since they know where TSC is, rather than making their problems public.

“Teachers service commission should not be talked to through the media. We know where they are. They respect my position as the secretary general. We also respect them as the employer so, I want to say it is not in order,” he added.

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Oyuu also expressed confidence in the new KNUT office and urged teachers to at least approach KNUT, at least through their school representatives rather than pouring themselves out to the media, who will not assist them.

“As I speak today, I say that the new office elected on 26^th of June is a recognised one. All of us are registered and registered to speak on behalf of all teachers. Nothing more, nothing short.So, if we are registered, our offices, the registered offices of KNUT, nationally is at Mfangano street.”

“Our structures are right down here. We know teachers are transferred from schools, we have a school representative, representing teachers in all institutions and I want to tell you this is the lowest accredited officer of KNUT, Legally, by our constitution because our constitution is also registered. I have the capacity and the will to handle teachers’ issues. I want to take a total departure of making a lot of noise and doing nothing, and absolutely nothing. Making noise does not mean that you are working. My duty is to negotiate properly on behalf of my members and by and large, on behalf of all teachers in this republic. That is my position,” directed Oyuu.

Concerning TPD Oyuu said TSC is in the TSC act and is known by the parliament and the ministry of education.

“TPD is not an issue of yesterday. It is not an issue of last year. This is an issue that has been running from 2012 through an act of parliament. Go to the TSC act which is a legal document. Section 35 of the TSC act talks about TPD,”

The kenya national union of teachers (KNUT) secretary general, Collins Oyuu has swore not block the transfers of teachers who are members of the teachers pressure group. He has instead given them conditions to meet before KNUT comes in to stand with them.

Oyuu has told the pressure group to follow the right channel in airing their grievances.

“Those teachers should follow the right channel to air their views, as a union and as the SG of Knut I am always ready to engage the employer on issues of teachers. But I cannot fight for teachers who are going everywhere in the media and the social media showing disrespect to the employer,” said Oyuu.

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According to Oyuu, the teachers must first accept that they are employees of the teachers’ service commission, TSC, and accept to be controlled by TSC before KNUT assists them.

“If a teacher cannot be controlled by the employer, then how do I engage the employer on their behalf, the TSC has always been transferring teachers. If anyone feels his or her transfer is punitive, they should approach Knut and we shall take up the matter with TSC,” Oyuu said.

Oyuu said teachers need to seek proper advice on how to address their issues since revolting against the employer could cause them harm.

“A year ago, we lost some 245 teachers through interdiction after they failed to consider advice and instead went ahead to protest against the Competency Based-Curriculum (CBC), some of them are now regretting,” said Mr Oyuu.

Oyuu also insists that he cannot support those who are opposing his leadership. He wants the teachers to approach him for support before he engages TSC on the matter.

He said that as of Friday, none of the transferred teachers had reported to him nor sought help from the union.

“That group is not registered and therefore they do not represent teachers, let all teachers come to us for help. I cannot speak for people who have not reached out to us,” he said.

A Friday meeting by Teachers Pressure Group, TPG in Nairobi, which started peacefully, was half an hour later disrupted by goons who claimed that they had been instructed to stop the assembly.

The goons were about five armed men clad in T-Shirts similar to the ones the members of the TPG were wearing. They entered the Professional Centre near Parliament Building, Nairobi, and ordered the teachers to disperse.

They five claimed that they had been sent by a “Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) official,” to disperse the teachers.

“This meeting must end now, this business has to stop immediately,” shouted the leader of the group as he grabbed the TPG’s banner.

After the disruptions, the men, known to TPG members as ‘hired goons’ escaped on boda bodas. The TPG members accused the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) and Knut of intimidation.

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“The men were hired to disrupt our meeting, they were sent to cause chaos so that they can blame it on us,” said one of the teachers.

The teachers also accused Knut Secretary-General Collins Oyuu of masterminding their transfers to silence them.

The teachers, all clad with black T-Shirts printed “resist TPD”, had planned to hold demonstrations against the recently launched Teacher Professional Development (TPD) that required them to undergo training during school’s holidays.

According to TSC, teachers will be required to pay Sh6,000 annually and also renew their teaching license after every five years. Speaking on Friday, Oyuu denied initiating any transfer of teachers.

“It is wrong to malign this office (Knut), what is the need of me to send people to go and disrupt a meeting I knew nothing about, I have no business in engaging in such sideshows,” Oyuu said.

He said transfer of teachers is purely a TSC mandate and has nothing to do with it.