Teachers at Litein High School in Kericho County have taken a firm stand, saying they will not return to the classroom when the school reopens next week.
The educators cited threats to their safety and incidents of mistreatment linked to last month’s violent student protests as reasons for their refusal.
Speaking on Thursday, the teachers, through the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET), insisted that they will only resume work once their protection and dignity are assured.
KUPPET Kericho Executive Secretary Mary Rotich urged the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to immediately transfer all staff from Litein High, pointing out that the teachers had been wrongly held responsible for the unrest that followed fines imposed on parents to repair damage from the September 21 demonstrations.
“I call upon the TSC to withdraw all teachers from Litein High so that we can go back to the drawing board. We need teachers to be respected and their dignity upheld,” Rotich said.
She added that teachers were unfairly accused of benefiting from the protests financially.
“We are being labelled as though we were waiting for this strike to get some money from parents. To correct this thinking, I call upon the TSC to recall all the teachers so that we can discuss and agree before anything else goes on,” Rotich said.
The union reported that property worth Sh4.8 million, belonging to 38 teachers, was destroyed during the student unrest, leaving them emotionally shaken and financially burdened.
Rotich also criticized remarks by lawyer Danstan Omari, representing the Parents and Teachers Association (PTA), for suggesting knowledge of teachers’ salaries and personal property, calling the statements demeaning.
“That is not only disrespectful to the teachers but also demeaning, not just to the teachers of Litein High School, but to teachers across this country. It is demeaning to suggest that teachers have nothing to live on,” she said.
She described the damage caused by students in vivid terms, noting that homes were broken into, belongings were destroyed, and clothing was misused.
“Their houses were broken into by students, their property destroyed, and even their clothes were worn by the students. That was deeply disrespectful. And for the lawyer to side with the parents in demeaning the teachers, to me, as their leader, that is so, so wrong, to say the least,” Rotich said.
Parents have approached the courts, questioning the repeated levies imposed on them by the school following unrest. The latest demand totals Sh69 million, with each student asked to pay Sh49,000 to cover damages.
Omari told the court that the repeated financial demands raised concerns, noting that parents had been required to pay similar sums after previous strikes.
“The first strike, parents paid without questioning. The second, they did the same. This is now the third time, and the pattern is suspicious,” Omari said.
KUPPET emphasized that teachers will not resume duties until their safety is guaranteed and a fair resolution is reached. The ongoing standoff underscores growing worries about teacher welfare and security in schools across the country, particularly during periods of student unrest.
As the reopening date nears, the TSC faces increasing pressure to intervene and facilitate dialogue between teachers and school management to ensure smooth resumption of learning.