The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) wants the Government to declare Suba region in Homa Bay a hardship area. The KNUT officials led by the Suba Branch Executive Secretary Richard Ng’ongo and Chairman Stephen Maemba, said Suba region has a lot of physical challenges which make it difficult for teachers to operate effectively.
The challenges emanate from poor road network, which make many schools inaccessible whenever it rains. As far as the KNUT leadership is concerned, Suba regions consists of Suba South and Suba North sub counties in Homa Bay County. The teachers who operate in Suba South Sub County find life more difficult since the sub county has had never had a tarmacked road since independence. It is only today when a tarmacked road is expected in the area if the going construction of a road connecting Mbita town to Sori town in the neighbouring Migori County is complete.
Other challenges include shortage of clean water for domestic purposes. Speaking at Sindo Girls Secondary School, Ng’ongo said the environment of the region impedes teachers’ endeavours to discharge their duties effectively. “More than 95 per cent of schools in Suba region cannot be accessed when it rains because roads become too muddy. This makes life difficult to teachers to work like their counterparts other regions,” said Ng’ongo. He said the Ministry of Education and the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) should treat teachers working the region equally to their counterparts who operate in other parts of the country considered hardship areas.
“We are calling on all education stakeholders to intervene in this matter to ensure Suba region is categorized appropriately to ensure teachers get what is commensurate to services they offer in this region,” he said. Maemba said the TSC should boost morale of teachers in the region to undergo the numerous challenges they undergo while performing their duties. “There are many teachers who can lose hope in serving in this region. The only way to motivate them is to classify Suba a hardship region,” said Maemba. Considering the region as a hardship area will accord the teachers hardship allowances among other advantages.