Aden Duale: Our children shamed KNUT boss Wilson Sossion

GARISSA: Majority Leader in the National Assembly Aden Duale has accused the Kenya National Union of Teachers Secretary General Wilson Sossion of betraying residents of northeastern region by inciting non-local teachers to abscond teaching in the region during the hour of need.

Speaking when he met with school head teachers from his Garissa Township constituency, Duale however commended the local school administrators for posting sterling performance despite mass exodus of teachers from other parts of the country as a result of increased terror attacks in the region.

Garissa Township posted a mean score of 289.1 in last year's Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) compared to 2014 which was 261.15 while 2013 the mean score stood at 244.4.

Duale said it was unfortunate, that the Knut secretary general told teachers from other parts of the country to leave the region in disregard to the plight of thousands of children and their parents in the region.

"Sossion betrayed the people of this region by inciting non-local teachers to stay away from the region as if the locals were responsible for the insecurity, but we thank other Kenyans who stood by us during the hour of need, we also appreciate teachers who remained behind to ensure children perform," he told school heads at a Garissa hotel.

"The Knut Secretary General wanted children in Garissa to fail but they have shown they can perform and cannot be betrayed by hateful people like Sossion, shame on him," Duale added.

The Garissa Township MP attributed the performance of schools in his constituency to resources pumped into education sector through constituency Development Funds (CDF) adding that education will be given priority to ensure children learn in better environment.

Duale said promoting teachers who have been stagnated in the same job group and providing bursaries to tutors pursuing their education will also be used to motivate teachers in the county.

The Garissa town lawmaker commended non-local teachers who stood on their ground to teach despite pressure from their colleagues who left over insecurity concerns, saying many teachers in private schools are from other parts of the country and they have performed exemplary well.

At the same time Duale lauded reopening of Garissa University College; a constituency college of Eldoret based Moi University which was closed nine month ago after terrorists killed 148 students of the institution.

He said reopening of the only university in the region shows the country's determination to offer Kenyans higher education and Kenyans cannot be deterred by activities of wicked people.