Igembe South District Commissioner David Kipkemei has called on the striking teachers to desist from harassing private schools in the region.
Speaking to the media in his office, Kipkemei argued that private schools had nothing to do with the problems of salary increments that are the root cause of the teachers’ strike and therefore ought to be left alone to continue with the learning activities.
He said that the owners of private schools were running these schools as their business ventures and therefore it was against the law for public school teachers to interfere with their businesses the way they would also not be pleased if someone played with theirs.
“In any case, you cannot force your brother to close down his business because of the fact that you have closed yours or maybe some problems have developed in yours,” he said.
Kipkemei argued that the private schools and especially their owners were not in any way concerned with the issues of teachers’ salary but the government and the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) were the ones to be blamed as far as these issues were concerned.
He therefore said that those private schools continuing with their learning activities had the right to do so and at the same time deserve full protection from the government as they were doing so.
He said that it was against the law to harass these schools adding that this was not justified since they are innocent in connection with what is facing the public teachers currently.
However, Kipkemei clarified that it was not that he was against the teachers’ quest for fighting for their rights saying that he was just giving the private schools their rights like other private entrepreneurs.
“In this I don’t want teachers to take it as if we are against them. All of us are concerned in this since in one way or the other we have relatives who are also teachers and we cannot go against their wish to have their salaries increased,” said Kipkemei.
He also denied the information that was doing rounds in Maua town that he was the one who asked the private schools to go back to school last Sunday saying that he had no stake on that.
“I had a meeting with a group of private school owners who wanted protection so that they could continue with their learning programs and I assured them of security,” he said. He added that it was after that that one of those who were in the meeting went on and took a public address system and went around announcing that the DC had asked the private schools to continue with their activities terming this as misguided information.
