Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Secretary General Collins Oyuu has refuted claims that the union is working closely with the Teachers Service Commission (TSC).

This after the union advised its teachers to avert the ongoing nationwide teachers' strike and instead engage the government and forge a way forward.

Speaking during the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Kyuso teachers in Kyuso town, Mwingi North on Saturday, Oyuu said the union is not working to please anyone, but doing the right thing.

"On a serious note we shall continue addressing issues of teachers squarely with the employer. We must safeguard the position of the teachers and we must have a working force that is very professional," he said.

Oyuu added that the decision to rescind on the strike was unanimously welcomed by its teaching fraternity and it was done in the best interest of its workers.

While suspending the strike on August 25, KNUT said that it arrived at the decision having considered all options in the developments of the matters at hand and the level of commitment by both the government, TSC and the teachers' position in driving the education agenda. 

KNUT said despite being not convinced with some of the steps taken by the government and TSC to address pressing concerns, it believes there is goodwill to meet the demands raised by the union.

Some of these demands included permanent employment of 46,000 Junior Secondary School teachers, promotion of 130,000 teachers, immediate implementation of the second phase of the 2021/2025 amended CBA signed between TSC and KNUT and immediate remittance of the third-party deductions accrued to their respective organisations.

KNUT said in the discussions with TSC, the teachers' employer said it had, among others, promoted 51,232 teachers, remitted the third-party deductions and was in the process of implementing the amended CBA. 

Meanwhile, teachers from the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) have remained adamant on taking the streets demonstrating for better health care, demanding promotions, and confirmation of Junior Secondary School (JSS) teachers to permanent and pensionable among other demands.

Oyuu has noted that all demands being made by the KUPPET teachers, 90% of them have been addressed, emphasizing that the JSS teachers will be confirmed as permanent employees in a few months time.