Knut postpones National Executive Council meeting

The Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) on Monday postponed its special top decision making organ meeting that was set for August 29, 2019.

In a letter dated August 26, to all National Executive Council (NEC), Secretary-General Wilson Sossion did not give reasons for the postponement of the meeting.

“You are hereby notified that the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting scheduled for Thursday, August 29, has been postponed,” reads the letter.

Mr Sossion said the date and venue of the next meeting will be communicated to NEC members in due course.

“We greatly apologise for any inconvenience caused,” said the Knut boss.

UNION DUES

The 39 NEC members were to make a major decision regarding Mr Sossion’s position.  

The meeting had been convened by Mr Sossion, who has been at the helm since 2013, to discuss the state of the union.

Knut is facing tough battles with the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) for opposing several government policies.

TSC has withheld Knut union dues for the last two months. The commission has also deregistered Mr Sossion as teacher after he was nominated to the National Assembly.

Knut receives Sh140 million monthly from TSC as union dues.  

While TSC has been at loggerheads with Knut leadership, it has, however, been receptive to Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) which has three union officials who are MPs.

They include: Mr Omboko Milemba (Emuhaya) and who is Kuppet national chairman, Mr Ronald Tanui (Bomet Central) who is assistant national treasurer and Catherine Wambilyanga who is Kuppet gender secretary.

CONSTITUTION

Those plotting to topple Sossion - who has been struck off the teachers' register by TSC, are relying on Knut constitution which states that union members must be registered teachers, certified, licensed or authorised to teach.

“Persons eligible for membership of the union shall be only those who are or have been regularly and normally engaged as a teacher,” reads the constitution.

It adds that one shall cease to be a member of the union if he/ she has been dismissed and his/ her certificate, licence or authority to teach has been cancelled by TSC.

However, Knut chairman Wycliffe Omucheyi last month said Mr Sossion will continue to serve the union.

He cited Article 34(A) of the Labour Relations Act, saying the termination of Mr Sossion's contract did not affect his rights as a union official.

Mr Sossion claims he is being fought by TSC and the government for Knut's position regarding various issues affecting the education sector.

ACHIEVEMENT

Mr Sossion cites his achievement as signing of the first Collective Bargaining Agreement on October 25, 2016 after 59 years of operating on return-to-work formula.

He says he has been able to establish partnership with leading Labour Centres and trade Unions in the world and led Knut to get affiliated to COTU after being disaffiliated in 1967 by the Government.

However, his leadership has not been without controversy as he ousted former chairman Mudzo Nzili from the position in 2013.

Mr Nzili was then acting Secretary-General and was forced to take up the chairman position..