Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) National Chair and Emuhaya Member of Parliament, Omboko Milemba, has revealed that 10,000 teachers who visited State House on Saturday were each given Ksh.10,000 as transport reimbursement.
According to Milemba, the teachers were invited to meet President William Ruto to deliberate on salaries and other key employment terms. This means that the total amount spent on the reimbursements was a staggering Ksh.100 million.
Meeting Focused on Teachers’ Welfare, Not Just Money
Speaking during an interview with Citizen TV on Tuesday, Milemba emphasized that the teachers’ visit was not about financial gain.
Teachers never went to State House just for money. Teachers were going to look at their issues… Transport reimbursement for teachers was Ksh.10,000
Omboko Milemba CBA Implementation Timeline Revised
One of the main issues discussed was the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) between the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) and the unions. Initially projected to be implemented over four years, the CBA—worth Ksh.33.8 billion will now be rolled out over two years, following negotiations with the President.
Breakthrough for P1 Teachers
Milemba also addressed the long-standing concerns of P1 teachers, many of whom have remained unemployed despite being trained. He noted that P1 teachers will start getting employment during the bext financial year.
Wamuchomba Criticizes the State House Meeting
However, the meeting did not go without criticism. Githunguri MP Gathoni Wamuchomba strongly opposed the narrative that the meeting served the teachers’ interests. Wamuchomba accused the Executive of overstepping its role, warning that such engagements undermine the authority of Parliament.
She further noted that the CBA and other education funding decisions should be debated in Parliament, not announced at State House. The MP expressed disappointment over what she described as a political spectacle at State House
Conclusion
While the State House meeting has been framed by KUPPET as a victory for teachers—securing CBA revisions and unlocking P1 employment—the backlash from Parliamentarians like Wamuchomba reveals a deeper tension between the Executive and the Legislature over decision-making power in the education sector.
