STAFF in several schools in Kenya have been caned in front of pupils by union officials for continuing to teach despite a national strike.

The strike by 250,000 teachers, now in its second week, is forcing seven million pupils to stay at home.

Teachers are demanding salary rises of 150 to 200 per cent, negotiated five years ago with the Kenya National Union of Teachers. Though the award was to be paid in five phases, only one phase of the rise - 35 per cent - was paid.

The government said it cannot afford to pay the increases because of the economic situation and because the World Bank is withholding aid to the country. It has declared the strike illegal, has revoked the 1997 agreement and ordered governors to evict striking teachers from school houses.

It also told strikers it would stop their pay - pound;150 on average for primary teachers and pound;200 for secondary teachers - and withdraw their automatic monthly dues to their union unless they go back to work. It plans to hire 50,000 new teachers to take care of half a million pupils sitting primary leaving exams in November and the 160,000 sitting the secondary leaving exam this month.