Moi: Leave me out of teachers’ strike

 

Former President Daniel arap Moi gestures at a press conference in his home at Kabaranet Gardens in Nairobi. Photo/STEPHEN MUDIARI  NATON MEDIA GROUP

By WALTER MENYA

In Summary

• At the signing ceremony, the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) was represented by Secretary-General Ambrose Adongo, chairman John Katumanga and Treasurer John Bosco Mboga.
• Mr Kamotho, despite being the Education minister, was left out of the meeting, even though he later gazetted the legal notice. Knut maintains the minister did not have to be present at the signing of the 1997 agreement.
• Legal Notice 534 also awarded teachers a commuter allowance of 10 per cent from 1998, accommodation allowance of between Sh600 for the lowest paid teacher and Sh2,000 for the chief principal per night; transfer allowances equivalent to one month’s gross basic salary and advances to buy motor vehicles.

Retired President Daniel arap Moi has dissociated himself from the teachers’ pay deal signed 16 years ago during his presidency.

Speaking to the Sunday Nation through his Press Secretary Lee Njiru, the former president said the pay deal was a collective government decision which had nothing to do with him as an individual.

“This thing should not be personalised. When he (President Moi) handed over to his successor in 2002, he passed on all the instruments of power, including the pleasures and the agonies. When you hand over, you hand over lock, stock and barrel. He did not retain anything that was government’s,” said Mr Njiru.

In 1997, then Head of Public Service Phares Kuindwa, Treasury Permanent Secretary Simeon Lesirma and
 Solicitor- General Aaron Ringera signed the Legal Notice 534 at State House that awarded teachers between 105 and 200 per cent salary increments. Implementation was to be in phases over a five-year period starting from July 1, 1997.

“It was not Moi as a person. It was signed by officers of the government, not President Moi,” Mr Njiru said.

At the signing ceremony, the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) was represented by Secretary-General Ambrose Adongo, chairman John Katumanga and Treasurer John Bosco Mboga.

Prior to the deal, Education minister Joseph Kamotho had vehemently refused to budge on the teachers’ pay demands. But with a General Election fast approaching, President Moi, perhaps afraid of losing the collective vote of teachers, summoned the Knut officials to State House.

Mr Njiru, however, insists President Moi’s actions were not dictated by the impending poll but the interest of the country.

“This was a government decision, and at the time, government did what it could to deal with the situation. This (the strike) is a policy matter and there is a Cabinet in place to deal with it as they deem fit.”

Mr Kamotho, despite being the Education minister, was left out of the meeting, even though he later gazetted the legal notice. Knut maintains the minister did not have to be present at the signing of the 1997 agreement.

“Whether the minister was present or not, who appoints the ministers anyway? The president is the head of government and can exercise the powers of the minister. Our employer was also present.

It is a non-issue to start claiming that a minister was present or not. We negotiated with the government and our employer, period!” said Knut chairman Wilson Sossion.

2012 strike

Since the October 1997 strike, teachers returned to the the streets in 1998 and in July last year. The 2012 strike was motivated by their unsuccessful demand to have Legal Notice 16 — which revoked the 1997 deal — degazetted.

Teachers appear to time their strikes to either coincide with a looming General Election or just before national examinations begin, which often results in a deal. But Knut denies being motivated by prevailing politics with Mr Sossion insisting that teachers only take to the streets when they feel their rights have been violated.

“Our industrial actions have no correlation with elections or national exams. In fact, if you recall, the strikes come after the budget has been presented, and the government has failed to allocate funds for allowances or salaries that have been awarded,” said Mr Sossion.

He added: “Whenever we realise that the Treasury has ignored us in the budget then we start preparing teachers.”

Knut also maintains that the venue where the agreement was signed is not an issue as long as it was signed within the Republic of Kenya.