A heated exchange erupted in Malava, Kakamega County, on Thursday after frustrated teachers confronted Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi over what they termed as a humiliating Ksh.29 salary increment in the newly signed Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) between teachers’ unions and the Teachers Service Commission (TSC).
The incident unfolded at Tande Secondary School during an engagement forum attended by over 4,000 teachers and senior government officials. The moment of tension came when Wilbroda Shinanda, the Kakamega branch women representative for the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET), rose to speak and pulled no punches.
Speaking directly to Mudavadi, Shinanda questioned the government’s priorities, comparing the benefits enjoyed by politicians to the struggles of classroom teachers.
“Medical cover was taken away in the name of AON Minet, and the SHA that I am deducted every month why can’t the government consolidate all that and come up with a scheme for teachers so that we can enjoy what you are enjoying? Are you politicians having a more important life than a classroom teacher?” she asked.
She went further, highlighting the burden of multiple deductions, including the housing levy and loan repayments, which have left her taking home just Ksh.3,000 a month.
“I have to smile and look like a healthy teacher. I am not,” she said, adding that she works alongside her former teacher, both stuck in the same job group due to what she termed as unfair promotion criteria under the Career Progression Guidelines (CPG).
Shinanda’s outburst resonated with many in the audience, putting government officials on the spot. While some concerns were addressed, others were deferred.
Principal Secretary for Basic Education, Amb. Prof. Julius Bitok, assured that consultations were ongoing with TSC and other stakeholders to integrate teachers into the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) program, eliminating duplicate deductions.
Mudavadi acknowledged the need for a fairer promotion process, promising that the Ministry of Education and TSC would work to ensure teachers are “rightfully promoted and earn proper salaries.”
However, for many educators present, the promises were far from enough the day’s events underscoring a deepening discontent within Kenya’s teaching fraternity over pay, benefits, and professional progression.
