I’ll face CID, says defiant Sossion
Kenya National Union of Teachers Secretary-General Wilson Sossion at the union's head office in Nairobi. Teachers have given their employer six weeks to conclude a medical scheme for them. FILE |
What you need to know:
- The Knut boss is expected to present himself to CID Head of Investigations Joseph Ngisa.
- Some teachers assigned to schools in the northeastern region have been spending nights in the boardroom of his office.
- The Knut leader had previously said he would not honour the summons insisting that teachers working in north-eastern should not return to work until the government shows they will be secure.
Knut Secretary-General Wilson Sossion is on Monday expected to present himself to CID officers for questioning.
The firebrand Kenya National Union of Teachers leader yesterday told the Nation he will honour the summons and was ready for questioning over allegedly inciting teachers working in the north-eastern region not to return to work over insecurity.
“I will be there (CID headquarters) at 10:30 am and I will be there on time to answer to charges of incitement to violence and disobedience,” he said on Sunday.
Mr Sossion has been ordered to present himself to Head of Investigations at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations headquarters Joseph Ngisa for grilling.
The Knut leader had previously said he would not honour the summons insisting that teachers working in north-eastern should not return to work until the government shows they will be secure.
He has insisted on a meeting with security agencies before the teachers can report to class.
STAY AWAY
Though Mr Sossion said he will be available for questioning, he maintained his hardline stance that teachers must stay away from the region until their security is assured.
“They must be listened to, they have genuine grievances and they are all traumatised,” said the Knut leader.
About 1,000 teachers who work in the region have requested to be transferred to other areas, citing insecurity, but the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has turned down their requests, insisting that they must report to their respective schools or face disciplinary measures.
As a result, learning in schools in north-eastern Kenya has been paralysed as teachers who are not originally from the region continue to stay away fearing attacks.
The area has witnessed a mass exodus of workers, especially civil servants working in the health and education sectors, after two terrorist attacks last year left more than 60 people dead.
TERROR ATTACK
Twenty-eight people were killed in the first attack when Al-Shabaab militants raided a Nairobi-bound bus and shot passengers dead near the Kenya-Somalia border.
Most of those killed were teachers and other civil servants travelling to other parts of the country for the Christmas holiday.
Mr Sossion said even if the government forced the tutors to go to their work station, they would not be effective due to fear.
Even as the push and pull between teachers and the government continues, the protagonists will meet today during the week-long 8th Africa Regional Conference of Education International at Hilton Hotel.
President Kenyatta is expected to attend the event on Wednesday at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC).
Mr Sossion said Knut would be “participating fully” with the union leader saying he would be moderating one of the sessions.
The event, which runs until Friday, is organised by Education International and hosted by Knut.
