Igembe North Teachers Demand Better Pay, Working Conditions and Career Progression
Teachers serving in Igembe North Constituency, Meru County, have formally called on area Member of Parliament (MP) Julius Taitumu to advocate for improved working conditions, enhanced remuneration and greater institutional attention to the welfare of the teaching workforce.
The appeal was made during a stakeholder engagement session held at Ntunene Girls Secondary School, which brought together officials of the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT), the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET), Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) instructors and retired educators.
The meeting was convened to review the state of education in Igembe North and to provide a forum through which teachers, union representatives and the constituency’s political leadership could evaluate progress recorded in the sector alongside challenges that continue to affect the profession.
Participants addressed matters relating to staffing levels, career progression, school administration, teacher welfare and the broader development of learning institutions within the constituency.
Taitumu, who previously served as a teacher and as a KNUT official prior to his election to Parliament, stated that the forum was intended to allow teachers and leaders to assess the constituency’s education trajectory and to identify areas requiring further intervention. He noted that his background in union leadership had informed his decision to seek elective office, adding that some educators had initially opposed his transition from union leadership into parliamentary politics.
Union Representations on Policy and Remuneration
KUPPET representative Njira Moris used the forum to press the MP to champion teachers’ interests in Parliament, with particular emphasis on the need to grant Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) greater administrative autonomy and to establish clearly defined leadership and management structures at that level. Moris further stated that the proposed Junior Education School Bill should take into account the distinct operational needs of JSS institutions and provide an appropriate governance framework for their administration.
Moris additionally called for improved remuneration for teachers and urged the fast-tracking of Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) negotiations, stating that teacher compensation should correspond to the increasing scope of their professional responsibilities.
KNUT Women Representative Mercy Kiambati addressed school administrators directly, urging headteachers to establish work environments conducive to teacher performance and wellbeing. Kiambati stated that teachers constitute human capital requiring institutional support and understanding, and she encouraged educators to extend mutual support to one another in addressing workplace challenges.
She further commended Taitumu for security improvements within the constituency, stating that a safer environment had enabled teachers to conduct their professional duties with greater confidence. Kiambati also called on parents to register children living with disabilities so that such learners may access government programmes and opportunities designated for persons with disabilities.
Government Interventions Cited by the MP
Taitumu outlined a series of measures he attributed to the national government aimed at improving teacher employment and career progression. He stated that the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) promotion budget had been set at Sh1 billion, with President William Ruto authorising an additional Sh1 billion, bringing the total allocation for teacher promotions to Sh2 billion.
According to Taitumu, approximately 35,000 teachers are expected to be promoted during the current year, with factors including age and length of service applied in the selection process.
Taitumu stated that no teacher should retire without having received an opportunity for career progression. He added that Igembe North had secured additional promotion slots following concerns raised over the distribution of promotions in 2024, a period during which national legislators publicly criticised the TSC promotion list, alleging bias and inequity in its distribution across counties.
The MP further reported that 20,000 intern teachers had been converted to permanent and pensionable terms, with an additional 3,000 conversions projected for the following year. He stated that the national government had employed approximately 100,000 teachers since assuming office, describing this figure as unprecedented relative to previous administrations.
Deployment and Transfer Concerns
Addressing allegations that teacher transfers within the constituency had been influenced by political considerations, Taitumu stated that no teacher had been transferred on account of political differences and cautioned leaders against the misuse of administrative authority for political purposes.
Central Regional Commissioner Stanley Kaura Ntoitha Ndoleli also addressed the gathering, stating that teachers had not been subjected to coercive transfers and that working conditions within the region remained generally favourable. Ndoleli stated that focus should now be directed toward increasing the proportion of learners from Igembe North transitioning to university education.
Teachers present at the meeting cited developments at Kaelo Technical College as evidence of increased investment in the education sector. Maore Ngore, an instructor at the institution, stated that enrolment had grown from fewer than 100 learners prior to Taitumu’s tenure as MP to approximately 1,200 students, attributing part of the growth to institutional marketing efforts and bursary support extended to students.
Ngore further stated that teaching staff numbers had increased from approximately 10 to 60, and that the college now operates a fully functional computer laboratory.
Michubu Patrick, a teacher at Nkamathi Senior School who had previously worked outside the country, stated that Taitumu had played a role in facilitating the return of teachers who had been working away from home. He further stated that transportation challenges previously affecting the movement of learners to educational activities had improved following the provision of buses associated with initiatives linked to the MP’s office.
Full List of Participating Categories and Representatives
The engagement brought together the following categories of participants and named representatives:
- Julius Taitumu, Member of Parliament, Igembe North Constituency
- Njira Moris, Representative, Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET)
- Mercy Kiambati, Women Representative, Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT)
- Maore Ngore, Teacher, Kaelo Technical College
- Michubu Patrick, Teacher, Nkamathi Senior School
- Stanley Kaura Ntoitha Ndoleli, Central Regional Commissioner
- Members of the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT)
- Members of the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET)
- Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) teachers
- Retired educators from Igembe North Constituency
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Conclusion
The engagement at Ntunene Girls Secondary School concluded with calls for continued dialogue between teachers and political leadership in Igembe North. Participants identified improved working conditions, adequate staffing, career progression, strengthened school management and sustained investment in learning institutions as priority areas for raising education outcomes within the constituency.
The discussions took place against the broader backdrop of ongoing reforms within Kenya’s education sector, including the continuing transition to Junior Secondary Schools and the accompanying requirements for adequate staffing and resource allocation.
Igembe North Teachers Demand Better Pay, Working Conditions and Career Progression
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