Currently, there are several Kenyan teachers who also hold school administrative posts and union official positions, but this will not last much longer.  Teachers in this position will be forced to give up one of the positions, according to a decision by a conciliation team overseeing the mediation between the Kenya National Union of Teachers and the Teachers Service Commission.

The commission determined teacher must now choose between their employer and their elected post to avoid a conflict of interest, which means, approximately 66,000 teachers will be affected and must choose between their union positions and their teaching positions.

The mediation facilitators also considered teacher transfers, professional development programs, performance contracting, and promoting of teachers during the process.

The end result was the decision to only transfer union officials locally until their terms ended.  The program endorsed the policy, which would allow teachers to move outside of their home regions for purposes of social integration and to bolster appreciation of various cultures.  It was decided the program was legal and within the purview of the existing contractual arrangement, but the union will need to be consulted before a final decision is made for each teacher.

The teachers’ union also claimed that more than 3000 teachers had been treated unfairly and moved to different locations.  It was noted that fewer than 300 of them had filed for appeal.  Now, the two groups are encouraged to negotiate at the union level and set up a standing “Joint Industrial Council” that will be overseen by a neutral person when it comes to labor issues.  These decisions prevented a strike and both sides were encouraged to turn to alternative dispute resolution in the future.