Kenya: education minister asks teachers to suspend strike

Kenyan Education Minister George Magoha has called on teachers to call off a planned strike ahead of national exams and encouraged the government commission that hires teachers to engage them in talks to avert the strike.

The national union issued a strike notice after pay talks with the government failed.

The education minister said children belonged to everyone, including the teachers, and that they “shouldn’t be like chess pieces to be played with”.

“If they like, they can issue it [strike notice] immediately after the exams, it will be fair game for the children,” he said.

The national examinations for primary and secondary students are scheduled to begin next month to mark the end of the 2021 education calendar that started late because of the coronavirus pandemic.