Listen to This Article Enhance your reading experience by listening to this article.

The Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) has condemned the proposal to abolish permanent and pensionable terms saying it would kill the public service.

Kuppet Secretary General, Akelo Misori yesterday termed the proposal as mischievous, ill-thought-out and unprecedented.

Kill public service

He said the security of employment, marked by full tenure of service and pensions after service, is the foundation upon which public service is built.

“Kenya’s Constitution and all laws pursuant to it envisage a regime of permanent and pensionable employment in the public service.

Unless the constitutional order is overturned, abolishing permanent and pensionable employment would kill public service as we know it. KUPPET rejects the misguided policy proposal and will fight it until it’s defeated,” said Misori, in a statement.

The union also demanded an immediate halt to contract employment in the public service.

He said that the Employment and Labour Relations Court (ELCR) unambiguously ruled last month that the employment of intern teachers is unconstitutional and illegal.

Misori said the court held that the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) had no power to hire teachers on internship contracts and that it has only one legal way of hiring teachers – on permanent and pensionable terms.

“The ruling has annulled the legality of the contracts held by 46,000 intern teachers, a majority of who work in the junior schools. To comply with the law, the government must immediately upgrade the teachers’ employment to permanent and pensionable terms,” Kuppet directed.