Nationwide School Shutdown Looms as Teachers Lose Patience

Kenya is facing another education crisis. The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) has warned that teachers across the country may soon go on strike. This warning comes just after the shocking news that free education might be ending in Kenya. 

On Friday, July 25, KNUT Secretary General Collins Oyuu spoke to the media. He said teachers will strike if the government does not follow through with a salary agreement. The agreement was signed between the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) and three major teachers’ unions: KNUT, the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET), and the Kenya Union of Special Needs Education Teachers (KUSNET). 

The agreement, known as a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), promised better salaries for teachers. In total, the salary deal is worth Ksh33 billion. Under the deal, teachers in the highest job group (D5) would earn up to Ksh167,415. That is a 5% increase in their current pay. 

The talks that led to this agreement happened on Friday, July 18, at the Kenya Institute of Special Education in Kasarani. During the discussions, union leaders and government officials agreed to raise the pay of the lowest-paid teachers by 29.6%. 

Currently, the lowest-paid teacher earns about Ksh23,000. Under the new deal, that amount would rise to Ksh29,000. The agreement says this increase should happen gradually over five years. 

Each year, Ksh8.4 billion will be used to raise teachers’ salaries. By the end of the five years, the government is expected to have spent Ksh33 billion on these raises. The changes were supposed to start right away, with teachers expecting their new paychecks this month. 

But now, teachers are worried that the government might not keep its promise. This has caused anger and frustration among many teachers who are already struggling with the high cost of living. 

At the same time, Oyuu criticized the government for planning to end free education. He said the problem is not the idea of free education itself, but the lack of enough funding (also called capitation) sent to schools. He challenged Members of Parliament to speak up and take action. 

On Thursday, July 24, Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi made a surprising announcement. He said the government can no longer afford to offer free primary and secondary education. 

Mbadi was speaking to the National Assembly committee. He said free basic education is no longer sustainable. The reason, he explained, is that more students are going to school while the government has less money. 

He added that the government will reduce the amount of money it gives per student. For secondary school students, the capitation grant will now be Ksh16,900 per child. This is a big drop from the current amount of Ksh22,244. 

For primary school students, the government provides Ksh1,420 per child. For junior school students, it gives Ksh15,042. But due to tight budget conditions, Mbadi said these rates may no longer be possible to maintain. 

He also said that the government will only consider increasing these amounts if it collects more taxes in the future. Until then, schools and parents will have to deal with the shortfall. 

The news of both the pay dispute and the end of free education has shocked many Kenyans. Parents, students, and teachers are now worried about what will happen next. 

Many fear that students from poor families will no longer be able to attend school. If teachers strike, learning across the country could come to a stop. 

KNUT has made it clear: if the government does not act quickly, classrooms across Kenya will soon be empty, not just because students cannot afford to attend, but because teachers will also be absent. 

This is a critical moment for Kenya’s education system. The government must find a solution before it is too late.