Wilson Sossion, Mudzo Nzili ask government to promote over 50,000 teachers

Knut’s newly elected Secretary General Wilson Sossion (left) and Chairman Mudzo Nzili celebrate their election with other teachers during the 56th Annual Delegates Conference at Nakuru High School Monday.[PHOTO: BONIFACE THUKU/STANDARD]

By KARANJA NJOROGE

NAKURU, KENYA: Newly elected officials of the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) assumed office with an ultimatum to Government to promote over 50,000 tutors and recruit thousands more.

The two demands have been the subject of a protracted dispute between Government and Knut that yesterday endorsed an emergency fund to cushion striking teachers, signalling a hard fight ahead.

Knut officials demanded that the Government lifts the suspension on promotions, saying over 53,000 qualified teachers have been unfairly denied higher perks.

“TSC should put its house in order. It is wrong to unilaterally discontinue promotion of teachers. We should have teachers promoted by Christmas,” said newly installed Knut Secretary General Wilson Sossion.

Knut also renewed calls for recruitment of additional teachers.

TSC has said it will require at least Sh4 billion to implement promotion of teachers alone.  But TSC Secretary Gabriel Lengoiboni says only Sh600 million was allocated for teachers’ promotions in this financial year.

SH27 MILLION MONTHLY

The teachers’ union had requested Sh15 billion to recruit 40,000 teachers to reduce the deficit by half but Treasury did not budget for the recruitment.

Participants at the Annual Delegates Conference in Nakuru resolved that every teacher should contribute Sh100 monthly towards a Knut reserve fund. The kitty is to be established from January and the funds will be invested to secure members’ needs during strikes. Knut has more than 270,000 members, translating to at least Sh27 million in monthly contributions.

Delegates mandated the Knut National Executive Council (Nec) to engage the Government to ensure that promotions are effected when they are due.

Officials said they would agitate for teacher-pupil ratios to be boosted and factored into the next Collective Bargaining Agreement.

“The ratio must be rationalised to deliver quality education. We will use our solidarity to save our children,” Sossion told delegates.

The union also opposed proposals in the National Social Security Fund Bill that is awaiting presidential assent to have workers contribute six per cent of their salaries to the pension scheme.

Sossion said Knut was not consulted as the Bill was being prepared despite the proposals having major implications on teachers’ earnings.

The secretary general was elected unopposed. He swapped positions with outgoing acting Secretary General Mudzo Nzili, who was elected unopposed as the union’s national chairman.

The two had initially expressed interest in the coveted secretary general post before Nec hammered out a deal last month, allowing Sossion to ascend to the position.

Moments after the elections, the two promised to work together to applause from 2,050 delegates gathered for the conference.

NACADA SLOT

In his acceptance speech, Sossion said he would be firm on issues affecting teachers and ensure that the union was heard.

Born in 1968, Sossion has risen through the union’s leadership ranks to become the national chairman last year, replacing George Wesonga who retired in 2011.

Nzili faulted the Ministry of Education for allowing NGOs to undertake quality assurance in the education sector. There were calls for the appointment of commissioners to the teachers’ employer to enable it discharge its duties effectively.

“Three years down the line we don’t have a substantive chairman and the President should move with speed to give us a chair and other commissioners,” said Sossion.

The delegates asked Nec to ensure that there were no more illegal removals of members from the union. In addition, the union said it should have a slot in the National Authority for the Campaign against Alcohol and Drug Abuse to fight drugs and substance abuse in schools.