Hundreds of teachers ignored court orders and continued with their strike to press for better terms, paralyzing learning in most parts of the country for the third day running.

In some towns, the strike turned violent as local Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) stormed into schools and forcefully ejected teachers from classrooms, branding them as “betrayers.”

The union had in a statement maintained that the strike would go on notwithstanding the orders issued by High Court Judge James Rika stopping the strike.

“In a statement, Kuppet Secretary General Akelo Misori explained that the union had received the court orders but sought an interpretation of the same.

Interpretation of orders

“KUPPET has been served with court orders obtained by the Teachers Service Commission. The union’s lawyers are seized of the matter and they have since moved to seek an interpretation of the said orders,” said Misori.

“Pending the interpretation, our message to members is that the strike is on,” he concluded.

There was drama at Uasin Gishu High School when teachers who were having lunch fled on foot after local Kuppet officials and other striking teachers stormed the institution to flush their colleagues out of classrooms.

Led by Uasin Gishu branch executive Secretary Elijah Maiyo, the union members went straight to the staffroom where the food had been reserved for the teachers and started eating as hundreds of learners cheered them on.

The school guards who were manning the gates were overpowered when the more than 200 teachers stormed the school as a section of parents who had brought their children watched the unfolding drama at a distance.

School Principal Hosea Bett who looked shocked emerged from his hide-out and declared the school closed as she directed the more than 2,000 learners to go home until further notice.

“Learning will not continue due to unavoidable circumstances, pack up your books and go home. We will communicate to you when to report back through your parents mobile phones,” stated Bett.

Speaking to the media, Maiyo vowed that they will continue to storm more public secondary schools where teachers are said to be going on with academic activities instead of joining their colleagues in the strike.

Teachers join strike

“We shall ensure no teaching is going on in our public secondary schools in the entire county by visiting schools suspected to be going against our course to join the countywide industrial action,” said Maiyo.

The union got a major boost in the afternoon when more than 20 teachers from Moi Girls High School joined them in the strike saying they were not ready to be left behind in agitating for their rights.

The teachers walked on foot from the school and joined their colleagues as they were demonstrating in town while heading to the Uasin Gishu County Commissioner’s office to deliver their petition.

In Mombasa, scores of teachers returned to the streets yesterday and marched to Uhuru na Kazi building demanding among other deliverables permanent and pensionable employment of Junior Secondary teachers, better medical cover and promotions.

The union’s vice secretary for the Mombasa branch, Michael Mpita said the teachers will ignore the Court order because the government and the Teachers Service Commission have a known history of disobeying court orders.

“The same Court that the TSC have gone to was the same court which found that TSC had erred by employing JSS teachers as interns. But did TSC obey? When the government said the housing levy is illegal, did the government obey? So who are we to obey? We are learning from the best,” explained Mpita.

In Bungoma, Kuppet officials also stormed several secondary schools and ejected teachers who had obeyed the court order and were back in class to teach.

Led by area executive secretary Augustine Luketelo, the officials said no learning will go on until their demands are met.

In Murang’a county, union officials maintained that they will not go back to class until the government fulfills their demands even after the high court temporarily stopped their strike.

Led by Secretary General Mburu Mwangi, the unionists said that their strike is legally protected and they will not bow to any intimidation from the government.

“We want to make it clear to the government that we are not going back to class until we get what we have been bargaining for,” said Mburu.

“We have not seen any commitment by the TSC or the ministry to meet our demands and our strike is here to stay,” he added.

In Kwale county, local Kuppet Secretary Leonard Oronje also maintained that no teachers will return to work until their demands are met.

“We will not relent; the strike will continue until our concerns are addressed,” said Oronje.

In Molo sub county, several public secondary schools resumed learning despite calls by the union officials to ignore the court order and keep off classes.

The schools where learning went on uninterrupted included Michinda, Elburgon, Turi, Kapsita, Mianzini, Njenga Karume, Molo secondary among others.

Kapsita Secondary School principal Gillian Shiyenze confirmed to parents through their WhatsApp group that the school had officially opened for third term.

In Kiambu, the local Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) branch Secretary Samuel Muiruri called on his colleagues in secondary schools to call off the strike maintaining that the government has met as most of their demands.

Speaking to journalists at the Kiambu East union premises, the official noted that four out of the six issues raised by teachers are being addressed by the relevant government departments.

“Unionism is about knowing when to retreat and when to go to war. In the teachers’ case we have achieved 70 percent of our demands, so whatever issues are remaining we are going to deal with them administratively with the Teachers Service Commission,” said Muiruri.

He spoke as local Kuppet officials maintained that the industrial action continues as schools reopened for the third term.

“I would urge our colleagues to get contented with what we got because like Oliver Twist, we should receive what is offered first then ask for some more. We have achieved this jointly with members of Kuppet,” Muiruri maintained.

However, local Kuppet officials led by the Chairperson Dr Rose Kiiru and Executive Secretary Moses Thogo maintained that all the 5,000 teachers in the county will stay away until their demands are met.

Stories by Reuben Mwambingu, Cynthia Atuo, Winstone Chiseremi, Noven Owiti, Yusuf Masibo, Bernard Waweru, Omar Shaban, Rebecca Wangari and Oliver Musembi.