Why Kenyan teachers are not willing to join splinter unions

Following a spirited fight for the salary increase for teachers in 2015/2016, and citing the experience the doctors underwent, during their 100 days' strike, where the govt was simply adamant or ignorant in addressing their salary grievances, the teachers felt that, they will rather hang together in KNUT, than be hang separately in splinter unions, like KTC, Kenya Teachers Congress, and KUPPET.

KTC is made up of former Nairobi KNUT. They are members that lost the elections during the February 12th, 2016 branch general polls, in Nairobi branch.

They are headed by the former KNUT Nairobi treasurer, John Mbate,( he is a former knut Nairobi branch treasurer, he served the union for thirty years, and has a year to retire from TSC), Ephraim Muregi(former Nairobi Chair) and Henry Njenga Mungai, who once served as a Knut official.

Henry Njenga competed against Mugwe Macharia for the Executive Secretary post, while Muregi the then incumbent chair was defeated by the resurgent Robert Karume.

The John Mbate team, had hoped that they would rope in other defeated teachers, during the February poll, from all over the country, to the bandwagon, citing riging, hence teach the Sossion led giant KNUT a lesson, by poaching members....

Whether KTC sells and becomes a fully fledged union, it is the only time, that will tell, because, as at the moment, teachers feel that they should fight for their rights as a solid entity, shooting from one cannon, KNUT.........now that TSC has branched to the punitive path.

....some, even, feel that KUPPET was a fiasco altogether...they want united teachers, regardless of where they teach, because most of the KNUT top officials are high school teachers, middle levels, and tertiary college teachers, like Wilson Sossion, a high school sciences and drama teacher.

"And for asking sake, if doctors treating different diseases are united under KMPDU, why should teachers be represented differently, even have briefcase unions?" Queried Mugwe Macharia, KNUT Executive Secretary, Nairobi KNUT branch