The Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) has demanded that more than 20,000 graduate teachers deployed to Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) be released from the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) and formally transferred to KUPPET. The union also wants the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to act quickly.
KUPPET Secretary General Akello Misori made the demand at a press conference at the union’s national headquarters in Nairobi on Tuesday 3 November 2026. He said delays had led to illegal double deductions of union fees and left the affected teachers without proper representation.
What KUPPET is demanding
| Demand | Directed at |
|---|---|
| Formal discharge of the teachers from KNUT, so they enjoy post-primary terms and conditions of service | TSC |
| Refund of union dues allegedly deducted from salaries but not remitted to the appropriate union | Employer |
| Compensation for 22 teachers who allegedly lost 15 months of employment after being told to reapply for their positions | Employer |
| Full administrative and operational autonomy for JSS | Government and Parliament |
| Review of the classification of institutions as ‘comprehensive’ | Parliament and the Parliamentary Committee on Education |
Why KUPPET says the teachers belong to it
Misori said the teachers moved from primary to post-primary education when they were deployed to teach the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) in JSS. KUPPET says more than 20,000 graduate teachers have been deployed over the past three years, but their union membership has not changed to reflect that.
According to KUPPET, the teachers hold at least a C+ in KCSE and relevant subject specialisations, and their appointment letters designate them as Secondary Teacher II. The union also argues that KNUT is legally obliged to release teachers who have formally said they want to join another union. It cites the recognition agreements signed in November 2019, and says that retaining such teachers breaches labour law and those agreements.
Transfers, careers and working conditions
Protas Kanake, National Coordinator and Chair of Deployed JSS Teachers, listed several concerns:
- Transfers: Deployed teachers generally serve five years before they qualify for a transfer, unless they find a teacher of a similar subject to swap with. Kanake said this has separated families across counties. It is harder still for teachers assigned to multidisciplinary learning areas outside their university specialisations.
- Career progression: Teachers who once held senior administrative posts now teach in classrooms, with no clear path to advancement.
- Working environment: He alleged that some primary school administrators hold official staff engagements in local vernacular languages, rather than English or Kiswahili.
Calls for legal reform
National Chairman Omboko Milemba backed the demands and described the deployed teachers as a neglected group. He said some had been head teachers or deputy heads in primary schools but lost those responsibilities after moving to JSS.
Milemba also said administrative redeployment errors between 2023 and 2024 had cost some teachers up to a year of recognised service. He argued that the Constitution recognises early childhood development, primary, secondary and tertiary education, and does not provide for ‘comprehensive’ institutions. He said he would pursue parliamentary amendments to secure autonomy for JSS.
What TSC and the court have said
TSC has said it recognises three unions with separate mandates: KUPPET for post-primary teachers, KNUT for primary school teachers, and the Kenya Union of Special Needs Education Teachers (KUSNET) for special-needs teachers. Its human resources director, Chrisantose Ogony, said TSC has not interfered with union membership following deployment. She added that every teacher TSC employs, including JSS teachers, has the right to join the union of their choice.
On Thursday 29 October 2026, Justice Monica Mbaru of the Employment and Labour Relations Court set aside interim orders that had directed TSC to deduct agency fees from JSS teachers and remit them to KUPPET. The court noted that the petition under which KUPPET sought the deductions had been withdrawn and the file closed. It found no sufficient justification to reopen the case to introduce a dispute over JSS agency fees.
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What happens next
KUPPET has warned that it will take legal action against the employer if its grievances are not addressed promptly. TSC has not announced any change to how JSS teachers’ union membership is recorded.
Teachers who are unsure which union a deduction on their payslip is going to should check the deduction line and raise any questions with TSC.