Teachers Demand For The Remaining Two Phases Of Their Pay Package Deal

The timing is perfect. This being an election year and the government finding itself on the defensive amid a popular opposition, there could not be a better time for teachers to demand for the full implementation of their pay package deal.

There are about 250,000 teachers in Kenya who are under the teachers service commission and come in very handy during elections as they are known to influence to voting patterns, especially in the rural areas where the majority of voters are.

It is a well known fact that teachers played an integral role in ensuring that Kanu lost the 2002 elections after they were promised heaven on earth by the Narc 'dream team' which ascended to power only to renege on its promises starting with the highly publicized memorandum of understanding.

Kenya national union of teachers secretary general, Francis Ng'ang'a says he is to meet education minister George Saitoti sometime this week to iron out the final details of the pay deal issue and he is optimistic that the talks will be fruitful.

But again, Saitoti has his hands full as he is yet to finalize the pay increment for university lecturers who are still waiting for their revised package where they have asked for an over 500% increment.

This being an election year, the Kibaki administration does not wish to be in the bad books of anybody and in particularly the voters so it will not be a major surprise if the government yields to the teachers' demands as well as those of the lecturers but will probably spread it over a few years.

The big question is where will the money come from? With the government running a major deficit in its budget and borrowing heavily from the domestic market, this trend is bound to continue with a bad impact on interest rates and in effect raising inflation.

At the moment, the education ministry is still grappling with the free primary education policy, which is guzzling a large chunk of the ministry's budget and increasing both the teachers' and lecturers' salary could be more than a herculian task

But again, the current government was voted in not only on the anti corruption platform but also on the promise that everything was possible without Moi. They have failed on both accounts as corruption continues unabated and president Kibaki has become Moi's bosom friend and advisor. The clincher is that even what was possible under Moi (like Kenyas being able to put bread on the table more easily) has proved to be increasingly impossible under Kibaki for many Kenyans.

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President Kibaki's Advisors: The Old Versus The Young

It has now become evident that president Kibaki is torn between two worlds, that of the young and that of the old with the former proving to be flexible and dynamic while the
old continue to be conservative, obstinate and paranoid.

For instance, majority of Kenyans believe that if Chris Murungaru was still minister for internal security to date, the government would never have raided the Standard newspaper offices last year but it was the elderly and arrogant Michuki who could have the guts to carry out that archaic action that maligned the good name of Kenya.

According to political observers, it is this band of aging advisors that are responsible for most of the bad decisions Kibaki has made over the last four years in power. Worse of all, these elderly advisors know little or nothing about politics but are mostly successful businessmen who also have their selfish side.

Among them are Joe Wanjui, John Michuki, Njenga Karume and George Muhoho among other golfing buddies who form an elitist group with absolutely no touch with the common man and their advice is mainly pegged on the interests of the ruling elite and rich Kenyans.

It is as a result of these group that Kibaki has the impression that his economic record is pleasant and has changed the lives of millions of Kenyans, little does he know that majority of Kenyans are just as poor as they were four years ago while for many others, the situation has in fact gotten worse. However, for the rich, they are now richer and the gap between the haves and have not has increased astronomically. (Is it any wonder that violent crime has gone through the roof?)

Unfortunately, it is these old advisors that Kibaki has his faith in and the 'young turks' could also have unlimited access to state house but will never override the old guards 'advice' on issues of the day.

The teams of young advisors is led by finance minister Amos Kimunya who is struggling to build his team of young advisors ever since Kibaki fired his personal assistant Alfred Gitonga and former internal security minister Chris Murungaru over the Anglo leasing scandal.

It was the wish of Gitonga to have the president surrounded by young intelligent and dynamic advisors and handlers but this was strongly resisted by the old guard who had a hand in the exit of Kitonga from state house.

And again, it is only logical for Kibaki to feel more comfortable with his age mates and there is no way the young lads can convince him to change his mind on a matter that has already been sanctioned by the old guards.

It is because of this that Kibaki stands to be humiliated at the ballot box at the end of this year as the old guards have lost touch with reality and most of their advice to the president is based on selfishness and not selflessness. And again, it is these same old guards who have tribalism deeply entrenched in their souls.

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