• County TSC director Jamal Ahmed says he is sorry, but disciplinary action was necessary given the position of the employer at the time.
• Teacher says she could not attend training on curriculum after downpours made roads impassable.
The Kenya National Union of Teachers wants the Teachers Service Commission to clear the medical bill for a Kajiado teacher who gave birth to preemie twins.
The union yesterday blamed the employer for the tribulations the teacher underwent. County executive Secretary Elly Korinko claimed that Osorai Primary School headteacher Jacqueline Shanka, 33, collapsed several times before developing health complications soon after she was served with an interdiction letter. She had a seven-month pregnancy.
She received the letter from Kajiado TSC offices. The commission had questioned her absence during training on the competency-based curriculum. It sent a show-cause letter.
But Shanka on Friday said she could not make it to the event after downpours made roads impassable.
“I told them I use a motorbike to travel to Mashuuru and go to school. On the dates I was expected to attend the CBC training, heavy rains pounded Mashuuru, rendering the roads muddy,” she said from her hospital bed, referring to her letter to the TSC.
“Instead of listening and understanding my situation at the time, county TSC director Jamal Ahmed found joy in breaking my heart. He served me with an interdiction letter without even reading my written defence.”
She was admitted to the Kajiado County Referral Hospital.
Korinko on Saturday gave Ahmed one week to settle Shanka’s medical bill, or prepare for a “mother of all court battles”.
“We are not begging them to foot the bill but demanding that they settle it without further communication on the same. They meted out injustices to our member, and it is time they realised the damage they have caused.”
But in response, Ahmed said, “We are very sorry for what happened to our teacher. But all the same, there was no documentary evidence that Shanka was unwell, and, in any case, how would I have known if a teacher is pregnant?”
He accused Korinko of creating the crisis by telling teachers not to attend the training, which was conducted last month.
“As things are, the TSC has received stay orders regarding interdictions and we are waiting to get the interpretation of those court documents on Monday [today] before we move forward. It is them who went to court and everything must now be directed to the courts," Ahmed said.
“We depended on the information we were served with from the zones and sub-counties. I have no personal grudge against Shanka, whom I don't even know.”
Shanka said she expected the TSC official to understand her situation after she explained it in her response letter.
“I developed swollen legs, headache and felt premature labour pain as my blood pressure shot up. As I was being rushed to Mashuuru health centre, which is 67 kilometres away, I gave birth to twins in the bushes alone,” she said.
She said she could have given birth after a full term, but the shock she got after receiving the letter dealt her a big blow.
“My husband, Stanley Supeyo, had also been interdicted a day earlier on the same grounds. He is living with disability and is a headteacher at Naretoi Primary School in Mashuuru,” Shanka said.
“What caused my blood pressure to shoot up was the realisation that my husband and I had lost a source of livelihood.”
Shanka has other three children who are now under the sole care of their father. She is worried about their condition.
Supeyo had also blamed his absence on the impassable road condition.
On Thursday, the High Court temporarily stopped the TSC from proceeding with any disciplinary action against 221 teachers who boycotted the training.
On Tuesday last week, the TSC sent show-cause letters to about 160 teachers for boycotting or disrupting the training.
Knut filed a case arguing the action was unfair and unreasonable.
The union has stood its ground against the implementation of the new curriculum, saying the process is unlawful.
In a Kajiado alone, 58 teachers including county Knut executive secretary Elly Korinko, were served with show-cause letters.
Korinko on Friday said he received two letters implicating him in the disruption of the course and allegedly blocking teachers from attending it.
“They can serve as many letters as they can, but I will never waste time responding to them. I am not answerable to the TSC county director on such matters that affect the welfare of my members,” he said.
(Edited by F'Orieny)