If the statements from Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) leaders who have transitioned from firebrand moguls to maestros are any indication, then the leadership of the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) and Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) should be concerned.
These JSS are urging the Teacher Service Commission (TSC) to expedite their membership in either union as they prepare to take on leadership roles and inject new energy into what they see as ageing leadership.
After struggling unsuccessfully to register their union, several leaders interviewed by Education News urged their employer to accelerate integrating them into KNUT or KUPPET.
“Both KNUT and KUPPET have been trying to recruit us since we began our internships. We attempted to form and register our union, but we encountered various technicalities. Now that we are on permanent contracts, we want to be part of a union,” said one JSS teacher from Busia County.
The primary concern that united these teachers during their two-year internship was their conversion to Permanent and Pensionable terms.
After achieving this, the pressure on the teachers diminished, only to be replaced by ongoing conflicts with their supervisors. Despite efforts by KNUT and KUPPET to attract junior school teachers, the significant challenge remains how these newcomers will manage their desire to take over leadership positions from the current office bearers during the next branch and national elections.
Leaders from various counties have expressed their intentions to contest any upcoming by-elections and secure victories.
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“We are eager to bring fresh perspectives to any union we join,” said an enthusiastic leader who was prominent in last year’s strike.
The aspirations of JSS teachers to assume leadership within the unions have created anxiety among current office bearers.
There are concerns among the ranks of KNUT and KUPPET that these young teachers could fulfill their ambitions. The number of junior school teachers on permanent contracts has steadily increased to over 70,000, including those deployed from primary schools.
Union leadership
Many junior school teacher leaders, driven by a strong desire for union leadership, believe that the teachers’ unions are no longer advocating effectively for teachers’ welfare, as outlined in their constitutions.
They have highlighted issues such as stagnation in job group placements, the existence of two medical insurance schemes, dual pension plans, that is, NSSF and Provident Fund.
Also, the delayed payment of contracted teachers during national examinations, among various challenges facing Kenyan teachers.
As KNUT and KUPPET hope for the TSC to hand over JSS teachers to enhance their membership, the next challenge will be managing this new wave of energy.
Many of the grievances raised by these younger teachers resonate with their senior counterparts. Will senior teachers welcome them to help rebrand the unions? Only time will tell.
By Kaptich Tarus
