The 2022 Kenya Union of Post primary Education Teachers, KUPPET, Annual Delegates Conference was held on 9th and 10th December, 2022; at Nokras Riverine Hotel, in Murang’a County.
A number of issues were discussed and agreed on by the delegates. Equally, the employer (the Teachers Service Commission, TSC) was well represented at the event. Read some of the highlights of the conference below;
Highlights of the 2022 KUPPET ADC
Communication from TSC
30,000 teachers set to be employed by January 2023. At least 9,000 of them will teach in secondary schools, and 21,000 in Primary Schools. Terms will be *internship/ P n P.* Those applying have 7 days and Not 14 days to make online application from the date the portal is live
use https://hrmis.tsc.go.ke/app/login For application.
14,250 slots will be declared for those seeking promotions. A bulk of the slots will be allocated to Diploma teachers and graduate teachers who have stagnated in C3. To score well in these interviews, please update your TPAD accounts. Good marks have been allocated for this.
Details for teachers who have acted in senior roles have been given to the employer as a pending bill which has to be paid. Those who haven’t done so are reminded to forward their details to any KUPPET official near you. Consequently, this category of teachers will be given priority during the interviews. Therefore, it is important you clearly indicate in your application this Acting Role that you played, with details.
Medical cover
The AON Minet contract has been renewed, for Kshs.14.9B, annually. This was done after Treasury declining to give an additional 10.1B to meet NHIF’s quotation of 25B.
NHIF declined the offer for a Comprehensive medical cover for teachers after quoting Kshs.25B. To get teachers into NHIF, the National Executive Board promised to meet the Budget Appropriations Committee so that more money can be allocated to meet the deficit.
The new contract has revised the rates upwards for all categories of teachers. For instance, the lowest paid teacher at B5 now has an in-patient limit of Kshs.1M, up from 700,000. The highest paid teacher at D5 now moves to Kshs.3M, up from Kshs 2M, among other adjustments.
The number of hospitals have been increased to 370,000 facilities across the country. we shall share the details once we receive them from the Employer/ Insurers. Delegates demanded the MEDIHEAL HOSPITAL should be brought back to the list of hospitals that have been approved to treat teachers under the Minet cover. However the Employer was noncommittal on the MEDIHEAL issue.
Challenges with capitation and approvals have also been addressed. We shall share the new terms and conditions for this cover once we receive the copy from the Employer TSC later this month.
In order to improve on service delivery and keep the Insurance on check, the new contract include a Governance Structure which shall include Union Representatives at County and National level.
In order to process the Last Respect claims and Group cover, next if kin is supposed to attach a copy of burial permit and letter from the Chief to the claim form. It will take 7 days to process and pay Last Respect money to the next of kin. The office of the Executive Secretary and the branch officials shall continue assisting the affected Families.
All Delegates have been requested to monitor the administration of this cover at the branches. Any time you have hitches while seeking health services, kindly reach out to us. Don’t suffer in silence.
Supernuation Scheme (Retirement Benefits)
This scheme came into being in 2021 for teachers who were 45 years and below. The senior teachers belong to the older scheme, whose terms of operations are already in the public domain.
The first instalment was 2.5% in January 2021, 5% in January 2022 and the last installment of 7.5% in January 2023. The govt pays 15%(double what the employee pays)
Once the updating of the new adminstrative system comes into place next year, all members will be able to see on their payslips how much they have saved.
For record purposes, teachers have the largest representation on the management board for this scheme, which also has the Police Service Commission, the Public Service Commission, the TSC Secretariat among other government agencies.
CBC transition
The Junior Secondary School learners will be domiciled in primary schools, but the secondary school teachers will be deployed to handle these learners.
The employer will release finer details as induction courses for CBC resume before opening of schools.
The union looks at this development as an opportunity to promote many of our members as administrators at this level.
Amendments on TSC Act
The union is pushing for Constitutional Amendments through the National Assembly that will redefine the exact roles of TSC in the life of a professional teacher.
Among other things, these amendments seek to take away some of the roles being carried out by TSC. Currently, TSC has powers in law to register new teachers, discipline teachers, deregister and remunerate them. We want these powers trimmed by the creation of a Regulatory body, like other professionals.
Monetary CBA
The employer will resume talks with the National Executive Board in January 2023 for the review of the CBA so as to include the monetary component.
-We are very confident that these meetings will be concluded in good time so that the agreed proposals can be drafted in the Finance Bill 2023/2024. The union is rooting for a payrise of between 60% and 140% for the lowest paid teacher.
KEWOTA
The conference unanimously resolved to allow our female teachers who wish to exit this entity to submit their details to branch officials. This deduction is Kshs.200.
Lady teachers being deducted the Kshs. 200 for KEWOTA are requested to submit their details to any of BEC, Members. once the list is compiled it will be forwarded to TSC through our SG/NEB by end of the month so that those exits can be effected.
Promotion of Teachers in Acting Capacity.
It was noted that TSC has not fully implemented the 2017/2021 CBA on matters promotion and deployment of school administrators as provided for in the just concluded CBA. As such several Teachers are literally acting forever as either Senior masters, Deputy principals or Principals. This is exploitation of labour for maximization of profits.
It was resolved that Union officials shall use all available forums to demand for confirmation of all teachers in acting positions.
Teachers are asked to request for letters from their immediate supervisor once given an acting responsibility.
Youth Congress & Women Congress.
The union will hold Youth and Women Congress in 2023 to enhance capacity on these target group in management of union issues.
As part of the Union’s revitalizing strategy, the Union aims at creating solid structures in the Union leadership to accommodate more youths and women. This will be part of the envisaged constitutional amendments.
KUPPET Constitutional Amendments
Delegates made several suggestions to the Constitutional Amendments Committee which is currently gathering views for the same.
Burial and Benevolent Fund
Delegates were reminded the BBF was created to deal with benevolence and not paying allowances and source of conflict in branches.
Branches that had conflict on matters management of BBF were asked to resolve them and dedicated BBF money on benevolence related issues.
Kindly Let’s Keep supporting and guiding each other in our staff rooms.
