The Dark Side of Teachers' Unions in Kenya: Corruption, Strikes, and Betrayal

The Dark Side of Teachers' Unions in Kenya: Corruption, Strikes, and Betrayal.

The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT), and the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) are the oldest unions of teachers whose formation was influenced by the rights of educators, their remuneration and the improvement of working conditions in Kenya.

But these unions have been receiving increasingly negative reviews over the years as they have lost track of their initial purpose and instead became sucked into corruption, political intrigues as well as acts that negatively affect the same teachers and students they are supposed to save.

This article examines these concerns, with references to news reports, social debates and professional evaluations to point out the ways in which unions have been found to be not focusing on the broader good but putting individual interests first.

Corruption and Mismanagement of Funds

Among the most widespread are the supposed embezzlement and misappropriation of the funds of the members.

KNUT and KUPPET collect monthly fees to teachers as they mostly deduct this directly off their payroll in the hopes they will be represented in bargaining and offer assistance in times of conflict. However, there are claims of financial obscurity and personal profit enrichment by the union officials.

As an example, recently, the members of KUPPET in the County of Embu alleged that the branch officials had been embezzling union funds including the Burial and Benevolent Fund (BBF).

It has been reported that funds which are used in the welfare of teachers like the funeral benefits or emergency benefits have been diverted leading to protests and demands of audit.

There have been other allegations like these on KNUT where certain members have claimed that the leaders take brown envelopes (bribes) to stall or weaken the strike activities by the government officials.

A larger trend is visible in mass media: unions are reported to be rotting because of poor leadership, financial documents are not open, and leaders are not as accountable as they are supposed to be.

This matches problems in other Kenyan labour institutions, such as the central organization of trade unions (COTU) where employees have complained about excessive deductions, being forced to join SACCOs whose activities lack transparency as well as sexual harassment although the ills at COTU suggest a deeper structural corruption in the union management structure that extends to the affiliates of the teachers.

Corruption in terms of hiring and promotions also spreads to the complicity of unions. The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has been accused of favoritism but unions have failed to fight them effectively in some cases apparently conspiring in a scheme where jobs are sold to desperate candidates.

This has seen all individuals into the profession, and education has been compromised by having unqualified or those who pay bribes to get into the field.

Poaching of members and Turf Wars.

The unions have been at loggerheads regarding the recruitment of teachers especially in the same geographic locations such as the Junior Secondary Schools (JSS). KNUT has also claimed that JSS teachers (many of whom are considered primary teachers) are irregularly enrolled by KUPPET, which they deem as a way of invading their territory.

In response, KUPPET argues that JSS is post-primary and as such, they have the right to control it.

This has seen thousands of teachers change sides and KUPPET received a significant boost in 2025 when an estimated 46,000 JSS teachers rejected KNUT to join KUPPET.

Long-term Strikes and Last Minute Breaks in Unity.

The most notable was in August 2024 when the two unions gave their joint strike notices due to delayed implementation, promotions, and other demands of the CBA before school commenced.

The National Governing Council of KUPPET voted to finally go ahead with the strike starting in August 26. KNUT, however, rescinded notice some hours later, attributing partial concessions on the part of TSC (e.g. on CBA phase two payments and promotions). KUPPET referred to this action as being treacherous and dishonest, and pledged to proceed without it, and claimed that KNUT was betraying it.

This division was generally perceived to be planned by the government to separate the unions and enable TSC to make gains mentioned to one and pressure the other.

Strikes have become a characteristic feature of the Kenyan teachers unions who have been called in numerous occasions to seek better pay and conditions.

Past strikes such as the one in the 2010s have cost students learning time, with schools shutting down due to primary and secondary levels.

Studies indicate that union activities such as strikes have adverse impacts on the performance of teachers, as well as students in the government schools, especially in the Nairobi County.

Unions too are criticized on their inability to avert or foresee conflicts by making pro-active negotiation but rather employ confrontational bargaining that causes tension to the education system.

Political Interference and Erosion of Independence

Teachers unions have been to a great extent considered as political instruments and not autonomous advocates. The leaders have been accused of taking sides with the government or opposition leaders to gain some benefits at the expense of their bargaining power.

A research on politics of teacher unions focuses on the fact that the internal strategy is usually more focused on electoral alliances rather than the benefits of the teachers and results in the negotiation being compromised.

Dishonesty in CBA Negotiations.

Prior to 2025-2029 CBA negotiations (beginning June 2025), KUPPET publicly reminded KNUT that they should not betray them (as they had betrayed them) the last time they had negotiated with TSC.

KUPPET alleged that KNUT had negotiated deals in the past which sabotaged collective demands at their own benefit.

KNUT also rejected the idea of abandonment of KUPPET but justified their strategy as a pragmatic way of not losing gains (with reference to previous hardline positions held by KNUT under former leader Wilson Sossion who purportedly cost teachers increments promised by their position).

Exploitation of Teachers and Mental Health.

In addition to monetary considerations, unions are also criticized to have poor assistance in fighting workplace abuses. Teachers complain of harassment, unjust transfers and mental health breakdown and unions tend to be silent and ineffective.

In a single dramatic report oozing Kenya High School, a teacher described how Toxic leadership caused suicides and resignations, a move which indirectly connected to the failure of unions to interfere in TSC quarrels.

Wider matters such as delayed promotions, unlawful internships contract extensions, and pay differences- TSC says it can not afford 20,000 interns and unions threaten to strike without addressing the underlying problems. Posting biases on ethnic and regional basis are also not addressed with teachers of some regions being harassed during postings.

Differences in Policy Draining Cohesion.

A meeting between the unions in September 2025 between President Ruto and the State House saw what the unions called a clash between themselves over the placement of the Junior School which KUPPET insisted on moving to secondary schools where it would get better facilities and KNUT members strongly opposed the move which led to a public stand-off that had to be intervened into to restore sanity.

Like Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) implementation and suggested legislative changes to TSC regulations, similar divisions have also emerged, further mistrusting.

Retirement Age Extension Saga.

The retirement age of the leaders of the unions was shifted by historical changes to 65 years (approximately 2017-2023 amendments) which was more favorable to the old leaders who had reached or were nearing 60 like Misori, Milemba and others.

Top leaders were accused by the branch officials and members to have engineered these changes so that they can use their positions that are very profitable in terms of salaries and influence as many teachers are forced out of service at 60 years.

Direct implicated leaders such as Misori (who was at twilight in his career) and Milemba (who combined both the role of the union and parliament).

The saga widened divisions: old guard vs. youth, national vs. branch, and KUPPET vs. new JSS voices who threatened to establish new unions.

Greater Effect of the Supremacy Struggle.

The competition is not new, but it increased with the formation of KUPPET in 1985 which was a breakout group to become more aggressive to represent post-primary teachers.

It is frequently discussed in terms of a struggle of supremacy in the public discourse with the gains of one union (e.g. the membership boom of KUPPET) being regarded as a loss by the other.

Critics claim this enables TSC and the government to tap divisions, resulting in weaker CBAs, longer disputes and disjointed advocacy- ultimately damaging the welfare of teachers and quality of education.

The Dark Side of Teachers' Unions in Kenya: Corruption, Strikes, and Betrayal.