Knut has defied President Uhuru Kenyatta order to call off their three-week strike. They instead vowed to dig in until the government honours its earlier pledge to implement the return to work formula by paying their dues in full.
Top Knut chiefs said they will not accept the government offer to settle their demands in two phases.
"The national executive council has sat down to deliberate on the offer by the government, and I am on instructions to say that we would like to see an improvement on the offer," Knut secretary general Madzo Nzili said.
But Nzili said Knut's is willing and ready to negotiate in a bid to find a lasting solution to the stalemate. The standoff which enters its fourth week today has paralysed learning in public primary schools and a section of secondary schools.
Last week the government took top Knut officials to court for holding an illegal strike, claims that have been refuted by the union, which says that it was exercising its constitutional right to down tools over a breach of agreement.
Yesterday, the union officials clarified that they were only acting on behalf the teachers, whose demands the government has failed to meet.
President Uhuru Kenyatta's pleas to the educators to return to work have hit a wall as the latter maintain a hard line position. They insist that harmonized house and commuter allowances be paid prior to engaging in any other negotiations. Although the constitution mandates all collective bargaining agreements to have been finalized by end of last month, the teachers have vowed to stay put until their demands are addressed in full.
They are calling for the implementation of Legal Notice Number 534 of 1997, which has never been fully addressed, despite earlier agreements which have ended similar strikes in the past.
Last week the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers signed a return to work formula and distanced itself from Knut.
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