Knut launches drive to recruit more members

KNUT Secretary-General Collins Oyuu. [Wilberforce Okwiri, Standard]

The Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) has rolled out a recruitment drive to increase its membership.

The union is also luring back teachers who exited the union over its frosty relations with the Teachers Service Commission (TSC).

From a national membership of about 300,000 teachers, the union was reduced to a pale shadow of its former self with the massive exit of teachers who cited frustrations owing to the bad relationship between the union and their employer.

The union’s woes were deepened by leadership wrangles that led to the exit of its Secretary-General Wilson Sossion, a nominated MP.

The union’s Trans Nzoia chapter Secretary-General George Wanjala on Saturday convened a meeting of leaders from the eight regions in the county with the aim of solving issues that led to many members leaving the union.

Union representatives drawn from Cherang’any, Kaplamai, Township, Kwanza, Endebess, Saboti, Kiminini, and Central regions joined the steering committee that comprised the union chair, secretary, treasurer, and their deputies.

Wanjala noted that the mass exodus was occasioned by TSC’s move to promote teachers who were non-members of the union at their expense.

He, however, disclosed that the union had improved its working ties with TSC and that all teachers, whether in the union or outside, were getting promotions without segregation.

“We are all aware that we had a poor working relationship with TSC but we have put efforts to improve on this, and it is progressing well. We want to assure our members and those who wish to enlist that there is no cause for alarm in the union as we have mended our fences with TSC,” said Wanjala.