Police chase away KUPPET officials from Gatundu KCSE marking centre

The Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) officials have been chased away from St Francis Girls High School-Mang’u, a KCSE marking centre in Gatundu North, Kiambu County.

The officials had made an impromptu visit at the now contentious centre in solidarity with examiners who were sent home on Tuesday, January 10 after they downed tools over poor working conditions, low payment among other issues.

A moment after they made their way to the centre, the officials were repulsed by heavily armed police officers who are still manning centre right from outside.

Led by Julius Koris, the union’s national vice chair, the officials revealed that markers at the centre were indeed working under deplorable conditions.

“We wanted to meet the chief examiner to understand the concerns of the teachers but the guy just ignored us.

“We tried to look for the centre organizer in futility until when security apparatus started intimidating us. Thank God we were inside,” said Korir.

They particularly pointed out that assessors were working from as early as 4 am to 11 pm, an overworking issue that could interfere with their fair judgements.

Further, the officials decried that the markers have been sleeping on bed bugs infested beds that students at the school have also been using, a state of affairs they described as demeaning to professionals.

The officials who were to address journalists at the centre were forced to leave to a safer area where they are expected to address the media.

Yesterday, over 1,000 teachers marking the Christian Religious Education (CRE) subject at the centre were sent home and the centre closed indefinitely after protests.

Efforts by Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu to address their concerns bore no fruits, a move that triggered closure of the premise and deployment of tens of police officers.

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