Chaos rocks Knut meeting in Mombasa over Wilson Sossion
Teachers from central Kenya disrupt a Knut meeting at Wildwaters, Mombasa, on December 14, 2017. PHOTO | LABAN WALLOGA | NATION MEDIA GROUP
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The more than 500 teachers started by chanting and singing songs denouncing the nominated ODM MP.
“Let him go and work as an MP. He must relinquish the secretary-general position,” some were heard shouting.
Hell broke loose after the teachers stormed the meeting and disrupted it.
Chaos on Thursday rocked a teachers’ conference over the leadership of the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) in Mombasa.
There has been simmering tension in the giant union after Labour Cabinet Secretary Phyllis Kandie asked Knut Secretary-General Wilson Sossion and 10 other elected leaders to quit trade unions.
BLOWS
The meeting at Wildwaters in Nyali started well on Thursday morning, with Mr Sossion telling off Ms Kandie.
He later addressed the meeting but trouble started after some delegates from central Kenya demanded his resignation.
The more than 500 teachers started by chanting and singing songs denouncing the nominated ODM MP.
“Let him go and work as an MP. He must relinquish the secretary-general position,” some were heard shouting.
Hell broke loose after the teachers stormed the meeting and disrupted it.
“One man, one job, want Sossion to resign,” the teachers chanted.
FACTIONS
Amid the chaos, factions formed fast— with Rift Valley and western Kenya delegates defending Mr Sossion.
The meeting took a political angle after a section of Rift Valley delegates said they will defend their kin.
"We will protect Mr Sossion through thick and thin. We voted for President Uhuru Kenyatta but we won't allow Jubilee to undermine our kin," said a Bomet official.
A face-off and war of words, chants, cheers and jeers ensued.
They also threw bottles and chairs at one another and, at some point, the confrontation degenerated into fist fights, with women taking cover.
KANDIE
The Rift Valley delegates accused their central Kenya counterparts of working with the government to wreck, divide and weaken the union.
Some waved placards denouncing Ms Kandie, accusing her of causing divisions in the union after she gazetted Mr Sossion’s name and those of 10 other trade union leaders.
Others called on Ms Kandie to resign.
More than 40 armed police had a rough time quelling the chaos that saw chairs thrown and teachers scamper for safety.
The disgruntled central officials later left the meeting in protest.
"This meeting should come to a close. Mr Sossion is committing a crime by holding two jobs," said Kiambu Knut official George Njoroge.
