Teachers yesterday scoffed at President Moi's threat to sack them and vowed to go ahead with their strike planned for next month.

They were reacting to the President's caution on Friday that those who go on strike "should know that there are 60,000 of their colleagues who are unemployed".

Yesterday, the Secretary-General of the Kenya National Union of Teachers, Mr Francis Ng'ang'a said the strike over their pay demands would go on as scheduled on June 10, "if no agreement is reached by then".

Mr Ng'ang'a, speaking in Buret District, said threats to sack the teachers would not deter their members from pressing for the implementation of the 200 per cent salary raise agreed with the government in 1997.

The government has reneged on the plan, arguing that the economy cannot finance the deal. A new team has been named to renegotiate the salaries but the teachers' union has rejected it, saying it has not appointed any members to it.

A conciliator was appointed to try and reconcile the two groups after the Knut's National Executive Council issued a mandatory 21-day notice, for the teachers to stop work on June 10.

Yesterday, Mr Ng'ang'a said teachers had upheld patriotism and tolerance for the past five years, but would go on strike since the government was adamant on not implementing their salary award.

He added that the agreement reached between the union and the government in 1997, was legal and told those claiming the contrary to stop issuing confusing statements.

The secretary-general maintained that if the agreement was illegal, as had been alleged by some, the government would not have implemented the first phase.

"What the union is asking is how much can the government offer now instead of dismissing our demands," Mr Ng'ang'a said.

Speaking at Tengecha High School, during the local Knut branch annual general meeting, Mr Ng'ang'a said it was unfair for the government to threaten to sack the teachers instead of discussing how best to implement the remaining phases of the salary package.

He said: "Teachers are not ready to be enslaved by anybody and will fight to the bitter end in order to achieve their goal."

Mr Ng'ang'a told the Permanent Secretary for Eduction, Prof Japheth Kiptoon, and the Teachers Service Commission Secretary, Mr Benjamin Sogomo, "to stop behaving has if they are the government when addressing issues touching on the welfare of teachers".

He accused the two of misleading the government on the issue and vowed that teachers would not renegotiate their pay package. However, he said, they were not opposed to sitting down with the government to see how the remaining phases could be paid.

On Friday, President Moi asked teachers to "shun arrogance and humble yourselves for the sake of students". He said the second term was crucial in the school calendar as "this the time when students prepare for examinations".

"Teachers should co-operate not out of arrogance but out of prudence so that you teach students well," he said.

President Moi called on parents and school boards of governors to ensure that students have the necessary facilities to pass exams.

Speaking in Nyahururu Town, President Moi said Kenyans had "wasted the last 10 years as some leaders have been preaching hatred and divisive politics".