Wilson Sossion warns of looming crisis in education sector, wants Jacob Kaimenyi sacked

Knut Secretary General Wilson Sossion has expressed teachers' dissatisfaction with Education CS Jacob Kaimenyi. (Photo:File/Standard)

Nairobi, Kenya: The newly introduced Basic Education Regulations have raised a war between teachers and the Ministry with claims that Cabinet secretary Jacob Kaimenyi is overstepping his mandate.

Tuesday, the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) Secretary General Wilson Sossion warned that the latest development would lead to a crisis in the education sector and accused Kaimenyi of mishandling the docket.

“As a major stakeholder in the education sector, we have been perturbed by the anarchy, highhandedness and unprofessionalism in the decisions made by the Cabinet Secretary,” said Sossion in a statement.

The Education CS gazetted the rules that put the Ministry directly in charge of hiring and disciplining teachers, a task that is entrusted on Teachers Service Commission (TSC) by the Constitution.

“Let the government be forewarned in advance as well as the public over the impending chaos in the education sector. The Cabinet Secretary will squarely and personally be responsible for any chaos arising from the gazette notices,” said Sossion while calling on the Government to sack Kaimenyi, adding that teachers were no longer interested in dealing with him.

Sossion went on to assure teachers that the union will not relent in the fight for their rights.

“The education sector, no doubt shall be sunk to crisis by the sort of management the Cabinet Secretary has exhibited. We shall not shy away from defending the institutions established by the Constitution in protecting the Sector. We shall fight to protect the gains made in the education sector in this Country,” said Sossion.

The Secretary General said the union had already asked respective schools' principals and heads of institutions to cease any engagement with the Ministry “for the time these illegal gazette notices are in force and to disengage with the Ministry directives and officials.”

Kenya Union of Post Primary Education teachers Monday threatened to call for strike when schools open in May, if the Cabinet Secretary does not retract the gazette notice. The union gave Kaimenyi seven days to withdraw the notice.