The planned boycott by more that 230,000 teachers countrywide set for tomorrow over delayed April salaries yesterday seemed to have been forestalled.

The Teachers Service Commission-the teachers employer-moved to dissociate itself from the delayed payment of the salaries, saying it had released the cheques by last Wednesday.

The Kenya National Union of Teachers and the Kenya Post Primary Education Teachers Union had warned that teachers countrywide would boycott classes if they are not paid their April salaries by today.

While the union's secretary-general Francis Ng'ang'a insisted that the money had not been paid, Business Daily established that the National Bank-which disburses the salaries on behalf of TSC to various banks had done so by Friday.

"The cheques were released to banks on Friday and Saturday, "said Rebecca Gakuru, the Public Relations officer at National Bank of Kenya.

Mr Ng'ang'a declined to give details on whether teachers had received the money saying he would issue a statement this morning.

TSC boss Gabriel Lengoiboni said in a statement the money was released by Wednesday last week.However, most teachers contacted by the Business Daily in Murang'a and Nakuru districts had not received their salaries.

The cause of the delay in the payment remains unknown as teachers are normally paid by the 30th day of the month.