Board of Management teachers has been suffering for months now since school closure in March, amid Covid-19 pandemic in Kenya. These teachers who have never been paid have been forced to engage in casual works for a living.
Some teachers have turned into Construction workers, quarry miners, hawkers among others. Classrooms have been turned into business centres, offices into bedrooms as some teachers have turned into beggars.
Over 100 Private schools have shut down completely as others including public schools were forced to terminate contracts with the BOM teachers due to lack of funds. BOM teachers were humbled into nothing.
But when all this was going on, the Government seemed to see what was going on and decided to become their saviour. President Uhuru announced that 2.2 billion shillings had been set for paying this group of teachers.
The money was released and then later rumoured to have been reversed back to the treasury. Two weeks down the line nothing seems to happen.
The Ministry of Education CS Magoha last week announced that the money had been paid to the BOM teachers something that didn't go well with this group of suffering teachers who took their bitter frustration on Twitter bashing on the hashtag #PayBOMteachers.
Zackary Kinuthia, the Chief Administrative Secretary for Education dug into the matter and announced on 12th August, through a Facebook video that money had been released and that the BOM teachers would be paid by the Friday that followed.
He added that he had confirmed with the permanent secretary on the matter and noted that the money was indeed released and it was it's the final stage of approval by the exchequer.
Teachers have so far been joined by various politicians who now calls out the Ministry of Education to come out clear and give justice to teachers. Among those who commented on the issue in support of teachers include Hon. Babu Owino, Education & Research Committee Vice-chair Ngunjiri Wambugu and Dr Boni Khalwale.
With many corruption cases in the country, teachers are now afraid of this money might find it's own way. They are calling on the government to investigate the matter.
