The question of who should represent teachers working in Kenya’s Junior School has become one of the major areas of disagreement between the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) and the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET). The dispute is closely connected to the implementation of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), the transition from the former primary-secondary structure to Junior School and Senior School, and the employment and working conditions of thousands of teachers.

The disagreement is not simply about the name of a union. At its centre are questions about where Junior School belongs within Kenya’s education structure, which union should represent its teachers, how teachers should be deployed and promoted, and what employment terms should apply to them.

Background of KNUT and KUPPET

KNUT is the Kenya National Union of Teachers, a long-established teachers' union founded in 1957. Its historical membership has been strongly associated with teachers in the basic education system, particularly primary-school teachers. According to KNUT's own history, the union was formed to address issues including teachers' salaries, working conditions, pension rights and professional treatment. 

KUPPET, on the other hand, is the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers. Its traditional area of representation has been teachers working at the post-primary level, particularly secondary schools.

The introduction of Junior School under CBC created a new situation because Junior School learners occupy a position between primary education and Senior School, while the schools and teachers have been managed in ways that have not always fitted neatly into the traditional categories represented by the two unions.

That is what has produced much of the disagreement.

The central dispute: Is Junior School primary or secondary?

One of the most important differences between KNUT and KUPPET is their interpretation of where Junior School teachers belong.

KUPPET has consistently argued that Junior School teachers are essentially secondary-school teachers because they teach learners in Grades 7, 8 and 9 using the junior-school curriculum, even when those learners may physically remain in institutions historically classified as primary schools.

KNUT has taken a different position. The union has argued that Junior School is a new category created by the education reforms and should not automatically be treated as post-primary education simply because its teachers handle learners who are older than those traditionally found in primary schools.

The disagreement became particularly visible when the two unions debated whether Junior School teachers should fall under KUPPET or KNUT. The Standard reported that KUPPET argued JSS teachers were secondary teachers whose learners happened to be domiciled in primary schools, while KNUT maintained that Junior School was a new system rather than simply another level of post-primary education. 

This difference in interpretation has important consequences because union membership affects who negotiates employment conditions and represents teachers in disputes.

Why the dispute matters to teachers

The union disagreement has practical consequences for teachers.

Teachers want clarity over issues such as:

their employment terms;

promotion opportunities;

deployment;

professional development;

salaries and allowances;

workload;

career progression;

representation in collective bargaining;

and whether their experience in Junior School will be recognised when they seek future promotions.

The transition to Junior School has therefore created a situation in which teachers and their unions are seeking clarity about their professional identity.

The issue of JSS intern teachers

Another major point of disagreement and activism has been the employment status of Junior School teachers who were recruited as interns.

In 2026, the issue became particularly serious after a Court of Appeal ruling concerning the Teachers Service Commission's internship programme. Reports indicated that more than 44,000 Junior School intern teachers were affected by the legal and employment dispute. Teachers and KUPPET officials demanded that the affected teachers be confirmed on permanent and pensionable terms in line with the court decision. 

Junior School teachers subsequently demonstrated and protested over their employment conditions. Among their complaints was the level of remuneration for interns and uncertainty over their future employment.

A Daily Nation report on the 2026 protests stated that some JSS intern teachers had been receiving a monthly stipend of Sh17,000, while demanding permanent and pensionable employment. 

This issue has made Junior School one of the most important labour questions facing the education sector.

KUPPET's position on Junior School

KUPPET has been particularly vocal about the treatment of Junior School teachers.

In 2025, the union asked the Teachers Service Commission to hold discussions on the management of Junior School teachers. Among its proposals was the establishment of greater independence for the Junior School wing or, alternatively, moving Junior School into existing secondary schools. 

This position reflects KUPPET's broader argument that Junior School has characteristics that make it closer to secondary education than traditional primary education.

KUPPET has also sought stronger representation of Junior School teachers within its own structures. In March 2025, the union amended its leadership structure to provide a specific position for Junior School teachers in its National Governing Council. 

That development demonstrated that the union was seeking to formally integrate JSS teachers into its organisational structure rather than treating them simply as an informal group of members.

KNUT's position

KNUT has also been involved in the Junior School debate, particularly around employment, teacher recruitment, promotion and working conditions.

In 2024, KNUT listed the conversion of 46,000 Junior Secondary School teachers to permanent and pensionable employment, recruitment of 20,000 additional teachers and promotion of 130,000 teachers among its demands during a dispute with the government and TSC. 

This demonstrates that KNUT has not ignored Junior School teachers. Instead, its argument has included the need for proper employment and improved conditions for teachers working within the new education structure.

The union has also continued to advocate for teachers at different levels of the education system, reflecting its wider membership base.

Teacher recruitment has become another point of concern

The government has increasingly focused teacher recruitment on Junior and Senior schools as the CBC system expands.

In February 2026, the Teachers Service Commission indicated that its recruitment focus would shift towards Junior and Senior secondary schools, while saying that there was already a surplus of primary-school teachers. 

Later, in July 2026, TSC advertised 20,000 post-primary teaching vacancies, with the recruitment drive aimed at strengthening staffing in Junior Schools. 

This recruitment pattern is significant because it demonstrates how the transition to Junior School is changing the teacher-employment landscape.

For teachers trained specifically for primary education, the changing recruitment priorities can affect their employment prospects. At the same time, teachers with qualifications suited to post-primary education may see Junior School as part of their professional area.

Deployment of primary teachers to Junior School

The question of teacher deployment has also contributed to the debate.

In August 2025, TSC cleared 1,436 primary-school teachers for deployment to Junior Schools after receiving 3,718 applications. The successful teachers were those who met the requirements after vetting at sub-county and county levels. 

This illustrates the complexity of Junior School staffing.

On one side, there are teachers who traditionally served in primary schools and have sought deployment to Junior School. On the other, there are teachers who regard Junior School as part of the post-primary sector.

Therefore, the issue is not merely about where learners sit. It is also about the qualifications, experience and career paths of the teachers assigned to teach them.

The curriculum adds to the complexity

Junior School is part of Kenya's CBC structure and is designed to bridge the foundational years of education and Senior School.

The transition has introduced changes in teaching methods, assessment, learning areas and career pathways.

The importance of effective staffing became even clearer in 2026 when a study by Usawa Agenda reported significant challenges among learners transitioning from Junior School to Senior School.

The report found that a substantial proportion of learners lacked essential foundational literacy and numeracy skills. It also reported that only 27.5 percent of Junior Schools had functional science laboratories and 27 percent had libraries. 

These findings demonstrate that the debate about Junior School extends beyond union membership. There are also questions about infrastructure, teacher numbers, learning materials and the quality of education being provided.

The two unions do have common interests

Although KNUT and KUPPET disagree over aspects of Junior School, they are not opposed on every issue.

Both unions have repeatedly raised concerns about teachers' employment conditions, promotions, allowances and welfare.

For example, in 2026 both KNUT and KUPPET were involved in demands concerning unpaid allowances for teachers involved in national examinations. 

This shows that the unions can work together when they face common concerns affecting teachers across the education system.

Their differences become more pronounced when the issue concerns which union should represent particular categories of teachers and how the changing education structure should be interpreted.

Why Junior School has become a battleground

Junior School sits at an unusual point in Kenya's education system.

Under the old system, the distinction was relatively straightforward:

Primary school → Secondary school → University/college.

Under CBC, the structure has changed considerably, with learners moving through:

Early Years → Middle School → Junior School → Senior School.

This has created new questions about teacher deployment and union representation.

A teacher may work with Junior School learners in a school compound that was historically a primary school. However, the subjects, learner age and curriculum may have characteristics associated with secondary education.

This explains why the two unions can reach different conclusions about the same group of teachers.

The dispute is also about the future of teachers' careers

The union disagreement has implications beyond today's employment arrangements.

Teachers want to know whether their experience in Junior School will influence their future promotion and deployment.

For example, a teacher who spends several years teaching Grade 7 to Grade 9 learners may want assurance that this experience will count when applying for promotions or moving into Senior School.

Similarly, teachers who entered the profession through the internship programme want clarity about whether their internship period will contribute to their career progression.

These are issues that require clear policies from TSC and the Ministry of Education.

The government and TSC remain central to the issue

Ultimately, KNUT and KUPPET are teachers' unions, while the Teachers Service Commission is responsible for the employment and management of teachers in public schools.

Consequently, many of the disagreements between the unions ultimately lead back to TSC.

Questions about recruitment, deployment, confirmation of interns, promotions and teacher establishment require decisions or implementation by the Commission.

The government also has a role because education policy determines how Junior School is organised and funded.

What the disagreement means for learners

For learners, the most important issue is continuity of education.

Repeated disputes over employment conditions can result in demonstrations, strikes or interruptions to learning.

The 2026 protests by Junior School teachers demonstrated the potential effect of unresolved employment disputes. Reports indicated that learning was disrupted as teachers protested over their employment status. 

At the same time, the infrastructure and learning-outcome concerns identified in the 2026 Junior School report show that teacher employment is only one part of the wider challenge. Schools also need laboratories, libraries, learning materials, adequate staffing and appropriate financing. 

KNUT versus KUPPET: the main differences

Issue

KNUT

KUPPET

Historical focus

Broad teachers' union with strong primary-school representation

Post-primary/secondary teachers

Junior School

Treats JSS as a distinct part of the new education structure

Strongly argues JSS teachers are essentially post-primary teachers

JSS representation

Seeks representation of teachers within its wider membership

Has created formal representation for JSS teachers

Intern teachers

Has raised employment and confirmation concerns

Has been particularly vocal in campaigns for JSS intern teachers

School location

Places importance on the fact that many JSS learners are in former primary institutions

Places greater emphasis on curriculum, learner level and teacher role

Main concern

Teacher welfare, employment, promotions and representation across the system

Post-primary teacher representation and JSS teachers' employment and professional status

The bigger issue facing Kenya

The KNUT-KUPPET disagreement should therefore be understood within the wider transition of Kenya's education system.

The country is still dealing with the practical consequences of CBC implementation. Junior School requires adequate teachers, infrastructure, learning materials and a clear professional framework.

The 2026 Usawa Agenda report found substantial differences in school resources and learning outcomes, particularly between urban and rural schools. 

This means that resolving the union disagreement is only one part of the solution.

Kenya also needs clarity on how Junior School should be administered, how teachers should be recruited and promoted, and how schools should be equipped.