By Reuben Olita, Busia
Busia County is not ready to implement the Competency-Based Education (CBE) curriculum next year, the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) has warned.
Speaking during the burial of 96-year-old Ayub Nyongesa Odikor in Amagoro, Teso North Sub-county, on Friday, KUPPET Busia Branch Executive Secretary Moffats Okisai said that despite the recent elevation of Nambale Boys and Lwanya Girls to national school status, the county still lacks the infrastructure needed for CBE.
“In addition to the two schools, Salvation Army Kolanya Girls and Butula Boys are also national schools. However, no school in Busia has the capacity to roll out CBE — not a single one offers mechanics, power mechanics, electricity, or building and construction,” Okisai said.
He warned that without investment, Busia will be forced to “repatriate resources” to other counties that are prepared, adding that even the county’s top schools fall short due to a shortage of teachers.
Okisai also criticised the recent salary increment for teachers, saying the least paid received only KSh36 more, while the highest paid got an additional KSh728. He urged landlords to avoid hiking rents for teachers following the adjustments.
Separately, KNUT Teso Branch chairman Alex Omoit appealed to local leaders to help build primary schools to improve poor infrastructure, noting that some classrooms are partitioned with plywood and lack laboratories for practical learning.
Omoit said this year’s academic calendar will see three national examinations KPSEA, KJSEA, and KCSE and called on parents and teachers to work together to support learners. He also raised concern over cases of children going missing for several days, urging parents to first report such incidents to local authorities.
Omoit warned teachers against engaging in inappropriate relationships with minors, saying those caught would face the full force of the law.
