Opposition leaders from the Kenya Moja coalition have condemned government’s handling of education, accusing it of neglecting teachers.
The politicians who turned the World Teachers’ Day celebrations in Nairobi into a fiery forum, they scolded the government for mismanaging the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), and burdening Kenyans with unbearable living costs.
Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna called on Ruto’s administration to urgently address the high cost of living and the plight of teachers struggling to survive on meagre pay.
“We are suffering in this city because the cost of living is too high. Before you pay rent and buy food, you have nothing left. Teachers are forced to leave their spouses at home because their pay cannot sustain a family in Nairobi,” Sifuna said.
The senator called on president Ruto to stop disrespecting teachers and bribing them with Sh10,000 pocket change instead of addressing the ills facing educators.
“If at all you respect teachers, then send the Sh10,000 to all the teachers who never made it to state house. Stop the disrespect and the discrimination, no teacher is better than the other,” Sifuna said.
Sifuna expressed solidarity with Junior Secondary School (JSS) teachers, who have been demanding better terms of service and autonomy. He faulted the government for allowing graduate teachers to earn less than their P1 counterparts, terming it a clear injustice that must be addressed urgently.
“That is taxpayers’ money that could have gone into improving teachers’ welfare,” he said, demanding accountability from the government.
The senator also criticised the housing levy, describing it as punitive and detached from the realities of urban dwellers.
“I pay over Sh36,000 every month for the housing levy. These so-called affordable houses are being built in villages where our people cannot even live. We don’t know who they are building them for. "he said.
Sifuna also accused teachers’ unions of losing their independence.
“It was embarrassing to see union leaders singing praises at State House instead of standing up for their members, we need leaders who speak the truth and fight for the rights of teachers," he said.
Embakasi East MP Babu Owino echoed Sifuna’s sentiments, accusing the government of turning education into a control experiment through the CBC system.
“Our children are being used as experiments. Teachers trained to teach two subjects are now handling up to seven learning areas with 40 lessons per week. What quality of education are we offering our children?” he posed.
Babu lamented that thousands of trained teachers remain jobless decades after graduation.
“Some teachers graduated 20 years ago and have never been employed. A teacher is retiring before being hired, is that fair?” he question
He also called for full autonomy for JSS teachers while backed striking lecturers.
“Lecturers must not sign any agreement without money in their pockets. Teachers’ salaries are inversely proportional to the work they do.they work hard but are poorly paid. "he declared.
Bumula MP Jack Wamboka joined in, blasting the government for what he called the collapse of the education system.
“Even God can’t change what is happening in the education system today. This thing called CBC is nonsense. Teachers are struggling to understand it, and even the government doesn’t know what it’s doing,” Wamboka remarked.
Wamboka emphasized t concussions the opposition leaders would continue to speak out against policies that harm teachers and learners.
“When things are going wrong, we must speak because we love our country. We will rise with teachers and fight for what is right,” he noted
