KNUT secretary general Wilson Sossion under siege

Comcraft Group Chairman Manu Chandaria (right), and Knut Secretary General Wilson Sossion during the launch of 2015 annual learning assessment report in Nairobi yesterday. [Photo: WILLIS AWANDU/Standard]

The National Executive Council of the giant teachers’ union meets today to discuss the conduct of Secretary General Wilson Sossion.

Sossion’s abrasive and confrontational nature has rattled the rank and file of the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut), who describe him as a ‘one-man show’.

Sources reveal the 43 members of the National Executive Council (NEC) could give  Sossion a dressing-down over what some members said is “his tendency to oppose his able colleagues”. If the allegations are serious enough, they might even recommend his suspension.

Sources within the union said yesterday the open differences between Sossion and  National Chairman Mudzo Nzili had irritated the union leadership and must be stemmed.

“We shall be seeking to make clear the operations of the union because there is a general perception that Knut is a one-man-show, which is not the correct position,” said an NEC member who did not want to be seen as disclosing the secrets of the union.

But speaking yesterday, Sossion said he was aware of today’s meeting but was not aware of a plot to put him on the spot “over anything”.

He said today’s meeting will discuss the collapsed release of union dues, performance contracting and union membership, among other issues.

“I am the secretary general of the union and the spokesperson of Knut, but I have not heard anything to that effect,” he said.

STORM IN TEA CUP

He said suspending him requires two thirds of the NEC members to endorse the proposal. This means that about 29 members must vote to suspend him.

Nzili downplayed the issue, saying he was not aware of the agenda of the meeting.

“You know when the NEC calls for a meeting, you hold your heart with your hands. It is the NEC that requested for a meeting and if there are such concerns, I do not know,” said Nzili.

He termed the differences between him and Sossion as a storm in a tea cup.

However, Sossion’s deputy Hesbon Otieno explained that today’s meeting is aimed at strengthening the operations of the union.

He denied there was a deliberate effort to isolate Sossion from major decisions.

Otieno spoke in reference to the recent trend where Sossion and Nzili have taken opposing stands on a number of issues in the education sector. At the centre of contention is the move by Sossion to advise union members not to attend the Labour Day celebrations saying there was nothing worth celebrating for teachers.

But Nzili led a delegation of union officials to grace the occasion at Uhuru Park.

And just last week, Sossion again opposed the tough measures put out by Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i.

In his statement, Matiang’i banned all non-academic activities during third term and said all prayer sessions for candidates, annual general meetings and visiting days must be done before third term. The CS also banned midterm breaks.

Nzili who attended the press briefing by Matiang’i said Knut was in full support of the measures and committed to fully support the new measures.

But this week, Sossion wrote a letter to Matiang’i saying “the union and its members deserve the right to object unacceptable recommendations”.