Kuppet officials call for meeting on merger with Knut

By AUGUSTINE ODUOR

NAIROBI, KENYA: Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) top organ is set to meet this week to evaluate the ‘validity of the merger document’ signed by one of its senior officials in Lusaka, Zambia last month.

The National Governing Council (NGC) will also rule out any possibility of a merger and issue a statement on its relationship with the rival union on the ‘purported’ merger deal.

 “We have committed so much resources and time in building Kuppet. We shall not allow a single signature to take away gains realised so far,” said Zaddock Kisienya, Kuppet’s executive secretary, Kajiado County.

He said Kuppet National Chairman Omboko Milemba does not have the powers to sign a document of that magnitude. “If we find out that the document was authentic and that it is also true Milemba signed it, then we shall institute disciplinary action against him,” said Kisienya.

WRITE LETTERS

Milemba, on Sunday said he is not aware of the NGC meeting and noted that only Secretary General Akelo Misori can convene it.  “Kindly ask the SG because he is the one authorised to write letters calling for such a meeting. I cannot,” said Milemba.

Misori Sunday declined to comment on matter. “That is an internal matter and whether we shall convene a meeting or not is not a matter of public discourse. We must protect our union from outsiders who are out to destroy it,” said Misori. He added: “We urge the Press and other non-members of Kuppet to stay out of this and allow us time to put our house in order.” But Kisienya, who is also the former union first vice chairman, said the meeting shall be convened this week.

 “We must convene to discuss how the matter shall be dealt with because the chairman has messed us up,” he said, adding that Milemba would have consulted the entire leadership before committing the union.

Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) has threatened to publish the entire agreement document in daily newspapers if Kuppet continues to deny its validity. “We shall shoulder the cost of publishing the document for all teachers to see that this is a serious commitment by Kuppet after carefully participating in its drafting and presentation to the Zambia conference plenary,” said Knut Secretary General Wilson Sossion.