Storm as Knut top organ meets amid tension

The giant teachers union is facing another storm as its top decision-making organ meets tomorrow.

Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) Secretary General Wilson Sossion has convened the high-level meeting amid heightened tension in the union over his double roles as an MP and the union’s boss.

A section of Knut officials and members have called for Sossion’s resignation as the union’s Chief Executive Officer and concentrate on his legislative duties.

Others have asked him to resign from Parliament and concentrate on serving teachers. The divisions have been open with a recent National Executive Council (NEC) meeting weighing in to settle the matter.

Tomorrow, more than 400 officials will meet at the Knut headquarters.

Sossion downplayed the meeting, saying it is a normal NDC conference.

He however said the main agenda will be the ongoing delocalisation of primary and secondary head teachers.

He said the mass transfer has targeted his union officials, signaling another round of elections.

Last week, TSC transferred 515 heads ahead of the second term. Among the affected are principals of national schools and the heads of extra county institutions.

TSC CEO Nancy Macharia maintained last week that the ongoing transfers are anchored in the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) signed by the unions.

Macharia told National Assembly Education Committee the transfers are not negotiable.

Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) Deputy Secretary General Moses Nthurima said Kuppet is not opposed to the transfers.

“All teachers signed to work anywhere in the country,” he said.