TEACHERS STRIKE MARK ITS THIRD DAY

By EMMANUEL BOAZ

For the third day yesterday the teachers are still adamant that they will not call off the country wide strike till the government heeds to their demand for a 300 percent pay rise. The teachers say that they won`t be intimidated by neither the Chief justice nor the minister of education or even the two principals Prime Minister Raila Odinga and President Mwai Kibaki. “We are ready to go on with the strike until the government takes action. We will lose nothing except poverty. “The teaching sector is a competitive sector like any other because it is made up of qualified people so itshall not be intimidated by any civil service,” said the chairman Knut Mombasa Johnson Kibuga. “We have checked all schools and confirmed that no teacher has attended classes. The teachers should be steadfast and should not shy away from the strike or give up in any way because we are fighting for our right,” Mr Kibuga added. The teachers in Mombasa demanded that the Education Minister to be sacked or they be given what they are demanding that’s when they will stop the industrial action. The recent demonstration of teachers in other counties in Kenya caused havoc and the police were forced to interrupt and used force to scatter the rowdy teachers. The action of the police was condemned by the secretary KNUT Mombasa Mr Stephen Ouma. “I condemn with the strongest term possible the beating of harmless teachers. How do you expect such teachers who were beaten up to attend to students? The police should be respectful in their operation and should not go as far as beating up innocent teachers,” Mr Ouma said. The bitter teachers appealed to the teachers of Machakos that they should not vote for the Mutula Kilonzo as governor in the coming elections. “We are appealing to the teachers of Machakos particularly Makueni,Mbooni where Mr Mutula kilonzo is vying to be the governor`s position. The teachers in that area should do the needful because they are in the rural area and Mr Mutula Kilonzo cannot be a leader,” the KNUT treasurer Mombasa Mr David Mulei said. Furthermore the teachers do not allow the graduates and retired teachers to go and teach. This was also backed by a parent of Burhania primary school Ms Khadija Muadham “The ones who are losing are the children the teachers should be paid fully in order to resume classes,” said Ms Muadham whose child is now in class 8 “If anyone knows of any graduates or retired teachers who has taken the responsibility of teaching let us know so that we can go and flash them out. We do not allow our children to be taught by people who will mislead them. We are promising our children that once we are paid properly we will resume classes and teach you,” Mr Kibuga said. The teachers threatened to disrupt the Kenya Primary School Heads Association (KEPSHA) conference that will take place in Mombasa. The Head teachers are also KNUT members. When there is an industrial action only the instructions from the KNUT headquarter is taken. We have strategized that all teachers from Kwale Mombasa Taita Lamu Kilifi will head there to make sure the conference does not take place. Every teacher should be united and no one should be used as a project to disrupt the teachers’ demonstration,” Mr Mulei said. “This year 101 billion shillings was returned to the treasury the teachers only need only 43 billion so that children can learn. So we should not be fooled that there is no money,” Mr Mulei added.