By Arnold Ageta
Striking Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) teachers in Nyamira County have vowed to continue with their industrial action until the county government addresses their demand for permanent and pensionable employment.
The teachers, who marched through Nyamira town to the county headquarters on Monday, were joined by gubernatorial aspirant Duke Ombagi, who pledged to support their push for improved employment terms.
The teachers are demanding to be placed on terms aligned with those recommended by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC), saying they have worked for years on contract without adequate remuneration and benefits.
Addressing the teachers before they began their march, Ombagi questioned why ECDE teachers in Nyamira were allegedly earning significantly less than their counterparts in other counties.
“It is funny that these teachers are being paid a ‘special salary’ when their counterparts in other counties are well remunerated,” he said.
Ombagi described the remuneration of Nyamira ECDE teachers as “illegal” and accused the county government of disregarding SRC guidelines.
“Here in Nyamira, ECDE teachers are being paid an ‘illegal’ salary against the SRC, which regulates the salaries of workers,” he said.
He said he had joined the teachers in solidarity because they had worked for about nine years without securing permanent employment.
“I am here to stand in solidarity with the ECDE teachers who are fighting for their rights from the county government, and I will stand with them until their issue is addressed,” Ombagi said.
The aspirant also condemned alleged threats against teachers participating in the strike, saying they should not be intimidated for demanding better working conditions.
Ombagi said ECDE teachers play an important role in laying the foundation for children’s education and should therefore be adequately supported.
“ECDE teachers ensure that our children receive the best educational foundation, and we cannot afford to mess up their lives at this tender age,” he said.
He further urged other county employees to support the ECDE teachers, arguing that better pay and working conditions would benefit the wider county workforce.
The strike was organised by the Kenya Union of Pre-Primary Education Teachers (KUNOPPET), which represents ECDE teachers.
KUNOPPET Secretary General Linet Momanyi disputed earlier claims by County Chief Officer for Education Zipporah Orina that the strike had been called off following an agreement with the teachers.
Ms Momanyi accused the county official of misleading the public and attempting to create divisions among the striking teachers.
“She said that we are a group of people, yet we are officials of KUNOPPET who fight for the rights of ECDE teachers and are recognised by the Ministry of Education,” Momanyi said.
She also alleged that the county’s Chief Officer had told the teachers that the SRC had advised the county to employ them on permanent terms when funds became available.
Ms Momanyi rejected the explanation, insisting that the teachers would not return to their classrooms until the agreed employment terms were implemented.
“This implementation should be effective from July 2026. We are not giving them time to work on it because this is an overdue issue,” Ms Momanyi said.
As they marched through Nyamira town, the teachers sang songs of freedom and solidarity before arriving at the county headquarters, where they waited for county officials to address their grievances.
However, no county official came out to speak to them despite the prolonged wait.
The teachers later left the premises, vowing to intensify their campaign for permanent and pensionable employment.
An ECDE teacher who travelled from Borabu to join the demonstration told Tidal Wave News that teachers had endured difficult working conditions for years.
“To be honest, we have suffered enough, yet we do the donkey work,” she said, with tears in her eyes. “We are paid KSh10,000, which is again subjected to taxes and other deductions.”
The teacher, who requested anonymity, said the low income had made it difficult to meet basic family needs despite years of service and repeated expectations that the teachers would eventually be employed on permanent terms.
With her child on her back during the demonstration, she said she was prepared to risk losing her job if the county government failed to address their concerns.
“My children have not reported back to school this term because I have not paid their school fees. My salary is not enough,” she said.
She said persistent financial difficulties had continued to accumulate, placing additional pressure on teachers and their families.
Ombagi later pledged to resolve the teachers’ grievances if elected governor.
“If Governor Nyaribo and his team are not going to address the issue, as soon as I get into office, I will make sure I sort out this issue once and for all,” he said.
Ombagi is seeking to unseat Governor Amos Nyaribo in the 2027 gubernatorial election and is expected to contest the seat on the Jubilee Party ticket.
