KUPPET Calls Out TSC Over Sh400,000 Employment Bribes Allegations Amid JSS Teachers’ Protest
The Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers led more than 200 Junior Secondary School (JSS) teachers in Bomet County in protest.
The JSS intern teachers have downed their tools, describing the government as insensitive to their plights. They accused the government of not confirming them into permanent and pensionable positions, despite their meager salary of Sh17,000.
KUPPET Vice Chairman Peter Bett told the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) that they would not continue to render their services in the schools until their issues were addressed.
The court deemed the internship and contract terms illegal, and Bett asserted that both the teachers’ employer body and the government must respect this ruling. He added that the TSC should compensate the JSS teachers for the services they have offered since February last year.
Follow Teachers Updates Page On Facebook
Bett emphasized that a qualified teacher should not be teaching under contract terms, as the Constitution mandates the TSC to employ teachers on permanent and pensionable terms.
He also questioned the government’s insistence on not employing teachers on permanent terms, given the sight of some politicians handing out employment letters to their friends.
Bett remarked that it was shameful for political leaders to issue employment letters to their followers as a way of wooing them, and he called on the TSC to use the proper channels for employing teachers by advertising vacancies in the media rather than engaging politicians who advance their selfish interests.
Sh400,000 Bribe Allegations
KUPPET Treasurer Joseph Bett urged parents of Junior Secondary School students to take care of their children because the teachers would no longer attend teaching sessions due to their inadequate salaries.
The unionists also alleged that there was massive corruption and malpractice perpetuated by TSC officials in the employment of teachers. They asserted that permanent employment required a bribe of Sh400,000, and they demanded clarification from these TSC officials.
“We are hearing that for one to be employed on permanent terms, you need to part with Sh400,000 as bribe and we need these TSC officials to come out clear on this,” he said.
In Our Other News: JSS Teachers Call for Corruption Probe into TSC Hiring Practices
Bett called on President William Ruto to intervene in these issues, warning that if left unchecked, they would affect learning in many schools across the country.
JSS spokesman Mungen Kipruto said they were ready to face dismissal for fighting for their employment rights and would seek justice in the Labour Court, as they could not continue teaching in an unfavorable environment.
KUPPET Calls Out TSC Over Sh400,000 Employment Bribes Allegations Amid JSS Teachers’ Protest
Follow Teachers Updates on Facebook, LinkedIn, X (Twitter), WhatsApp, Telegram, and Instagram. Get in touch with our editors at hello@teachersupdates.news.