Kenya Teachers Strike: Activists rage as Kenyatta defies court, rules out salary increase

Kenyan activists met at Uhuru Park's Freedom Corner on Sunday, a gathering meant to be the opener of a weeklong series of demonstration dubbed "Week Of Rage", in protest of last week's closure of schools in the country because of the ongoing teachers' strike.

Kenyan activists have vowed to take to streets in protest over last week's closure of schools in the country because of the ongoing teachers' strike.

According to the Daily Nation of Kenya, activists from Nairobi, the country's capital, met at Uhuru Park's Freedom Corner on Sunday, a gathering meant to be the opener of a weeklong series of demonstration dubbed "Week Of Rage".

Their protests come days after the Ministry of Education ordered that all public and private schools be closed indefinitely as teachers seeking pay rise continue their industrial action.

According to the placard carrying activists who chanted, "Pay our teachers, open our schools, and occupy Harambee Avenue", the closure of the schools is against children's rights to education.

The Court of Appeal had ordered the government to pay the teachers a 50 to 60 per cent raise but the President Uhuru Kenyatta in a televised address from State House, Nairobi, ruled out any increase on Sunday night.

He said paying the increase ordered by the court would swell the country's wage bill from 52 per cent to 61 per cent of all revenue collected.

The President said the government decided to close all schools to ensure the safety of children and safeguard school property.

"It is wrong to hold our children hostage to wage demands," Kenyatta said.

"I urge all teachers as parents, as public servants and as Kenyans to reconsider the matter and resume their duties."

READ: Govt appeals after court grants teachers 60 per cent pay rise

As the activists plan to take to the streets on Tuesday, they argued that the government should pay the teachers as ordered by the court.

"We want to press the government to pay teachers instead of disobeying a court order," one of the activists told Daily Nation.

The government has been highly criticized after it repeatedly said it doesn’t not have the funds to meet the teachers' demands.