The Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) has demanded urgent government intervention to rescue more than 150 Kenyan teacher trainees stranded in Tanzania due to ongoing political turmoil in the neighbouring country.
Addressing the press on Friday, Kuppet Secretary-General Akelo Misori said the situation is dire, with some Kenyan teachers reportedly losing their lives, while others have received threats for alleged involvement in protests.
“While a few Kenyan teachers have lost their lives, many more have received death threats for alleged participation in protests. Some have had their post-graduate studies affected by the crisis,” Misori said.
He described the predicament as “very unfortunate,” explaining that the trainees, who are enrolled in master’s programs at Aga Khan University, are effectively trapped, with very limited access to phones and other communication tools.
"As much as we have not had many families complain about the state of teachers, nearly 150 teacher graduate students at Aga Khan University who are undergoing a master's program are holed up in Tanzania. And they are held hostage with very limited communication gadgets open to them," he added.
Misori emphasised the need for teachers to live and study across the region without fear, urging swift action by the government to ensure their safety and well-being.
"This is very unfortunate. We are living in a region, and therefore we must express ourselves; we must have freedom to stay in this particular region without fear. And this kind of anxiety must also be resolved," he said.
The union has called on the Education and Foreign Affairs ministries to take immediate measures to protect Kenyan teachers, safeguard their studies, and facilitate the return of any who have died during the unrest.
"We are asking the government to expedite the return of these Kenyans until the situation in Tanzania becomes bearable for our Kenyan colleagues to stay," Misori stated.
The call for urgent action follows reports that John Okoth Ogutu, a Kenyan teacher at Sky Schools in Dar es Salaam, was allegedly shot dead amid post-election violence.
Kuppet also linked the crisis to ongoing professional concerns in Kenya, noting that the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) should have issued notices to interns advancing to permanent employment to reduce anxiety among educators, highlighting the need for timely communication and support.
The union warned that delays in addressing the situation could further endanger the trainees and disrupt their academic and professional progress, calling on the government to act without delay.
