Kisumu: The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) has declared its support for President William Ruto, citing the government's commitment to improving teachers' welfare and working conditions. Speaking in Koru ward, Muhoroni Sub-County, during a community empowerment program, KNUT Secretary General Collins Oyuu defended teachers' recent visit to State House, describing it as a constructive engagement that addressed key concerns within the profession.
According to Kenya News Agency, Oyuu noted that discussions with the President focused on the government's plan to review hardship allowances and reclassify hardship areas. He revealed that President Ruto intervened, assuring teachers that no hardship zones would be withdrawn. 'The President confirmed that Muhoroni, gazetted as a hardship area in 1997, will remain so. No single gazetted hardship zone shall be withdrawn. We secured this commitment in the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA),' Oyuu said.
The Secretary General further disclosed that the government aims to employ 120,000 teachers on permanent and pensionable terms by the end of President Ruto's term. According to him, 76,000 teachers have already been recruited in the past two years, with 24,000 more expected by January next year and another 20,000 before 2027.
'I want to state it clearly, teachers of this nation support His Excellency the President. We have solid reasons for doing so. The President has given us direction, and we believe in his commitment to teachers,' he affirmed. He announced that the initiative, dubbed Walimu na Rais, will become a biannual event, with teachers set to visit State House every two years to engage with the Head of State.