Represented by the Kenya Union of Pre-Primary Education Teachers (KUNOPET), the educators revealed that while they are grateful for their transition to permanent and pensionable terms in May 2023, the administrative aftermath has been discriminatory and exploitative.
KUNOPET Siaya branch Executive Secretary Elly Odongo stated that over 600 teachers have gone eight months without receiving the salary increments promised in their new appointment letters.
The ECDE teachers highlighted a series of alarming payroll discrepancies, reporting that they have encountered cases where some of their Provident Fund (PF) numbers, which are the unique identifier used to access government payslips, display completely different names when entered into the system.
Furthering the outcry, teacher Margaret Achieng’ Okumu alleged that the county is making unauthorized deductions from teachers’ salaries for loans they never applied for.
Barack Omondi, the Chairman of the Siaya ECDE teachers, accused the County Public Service Board of bypassing official protocols. He alleged that deployment letters were being issued without public vacancy announcements, leading to a surge of irregular employees who often work for even a year without any pay at all.
The educators are also seeking a resolution for gratuity owed from 2016 to 2023. According to Lillian Adhiambo, teachers served on temporary contracts for seven years without renewal under the previous administration, and they are now demanding that this period be compensated.
The teachers have vowed to return to the Governor’s office if these grievances, which range from the unpaid eight-month arrears to the “ghost” loan deductions, are not rectified immediately.
