Drama as Sossion is denied entry to his office

Drama erupted outside the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) headquarters after heavily-built men blocked KNUT Secretary General Wilson Sossion from accessing his office on Monday.

The men who were standing at the building’s facade informed Sossion that they were under strict instructions not to allow him into the building.

Armed with a court order suspending his removal from office, Sossion confronted the men demanding to be allowed access into his office. The men however stayed put insisting that they could not go against the instructions.

“I am the elected and legitimate KNUT Secretary General and you cannot block me from accessing my work station,” said Sossion.

His demands however fell on deaf ears as one of the men engaged him, explaining why he would not be allowed in. he declined to disclose who his instructor was and which security firm he was working for.

“Kindly sir, we cannot allow you inside the building. We have strict instructions not to and we shall not break it,” said one of the men.

The temporary court order issued by the Employments and Labour Relations court, states that Sossion is legitimately appointed secretary general and any authority prohibited from interfering with his performance pending a court hearing on May 10.

The order also prohibits the respondents from registering, recognising or admitting any other person as secretary general to replace Sossion during the period.

“This is the first time that I have been blocked out of these offices since 2013. As I have always said, this is a large network which has always trying to interfere with the functioning of the union.  Clearly, teachers across the country can see the uncivilized nature of activities going on around here,” he said.

Sossion said there were many issues affecting teacher that the network did not want resolved including suspension of promotions still on since 2014, delocalization of teachers among other issues.

The legislator said he would instigate contempt proceeding during the hearing against his rivals for disobeying court before leaving with his entourage in his car.

During the confrontation, inside a boardroom on the second floor of the building that houses KNUT, a meeting was on among some KNUT members who promised to address the media but two hours later, they had not left the meeting room.

Sossion was suspended on April 30 by a section of National Executive Council of KNUT during a meeting at the Kenya institute of curriculum development.

However, according to the court order, the suspension had been put on hold pending the hearing on May 10.