KNUT asks President Kenyatta to sack education CS Jacob Kaimenyi
President Uhuru Kenyatta (Center) chatting with KNUT secretary general Wilson Sossion (Right) alongside Education Cabinet Secretary Jacob Kaimenyi when he opened the 8th Education International Africa Region Conference at KICC Nairobi on February 4, 2015. Mr Sossion wants Prof Kaimenyi fired. FILE PHOTO | BILLY MUTAI | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- Speaking at Embu Moi Stadium during celebrations to mark Knut’s Embu Knut branch’s Silver Jubilee celebrations, Mr Sossion accused Prof Kaimenyi of failure to consult in key matters.
- Mr Sossion said teachers were demanding the closure of Garissa University College and Garissa Teacher’s College due to security reasons saying they will ask all teachers not to report to the teachers college on its opening.
- Mr Sossion said they had not approved the new rates since NHIF did not involve them in revising the scheme.
Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) has threatened to mobilise all its members to pressure President Uhuru Kenyatta to fire education cabinet Secretary Jacob Kaimenyi.
The union said it would urge the over 240,000 members to down their tools from May 2, until another CS is appointed saying Prof Kaimenyi was mismanaging the education sector.
Led by secretary general Wilson Sossion, the teachers said they were disappointed by Prof Kaimenyi’s issuance of contradictory directives and would not shelve the strike threat even if he rescinded the regulations that head teachers would be reporting to him.
Speaking at Embu Moi Stadium during celebrations to mark Knut’s Embu Knut branch’s Silver Jubilee celebrations, Mr Sossion accused Prof Kaimenyi of failure to consult in key matters.
“It is upon President Uhuru to allow Kaimenyi to sink the government or to allow Prof Kaimenyi to sink alone since teachers won’t allow him to continue undermining them. We will embark on a strike to remove him and it will be the first of its own in the history of the county,” he said.
LOST CONFIDENCE
His remarks were echoed by Embu Executive Secretary John Gitari who said area teachers had long lost confidence in Prof Kaimenyi.
Mr Sossion said teachers were demanding the closure of Garissa University College and Garissa Teacher’s College due to security reasons saying they will ask all teachers not to report to the teachers college on its opening.
Knut also vowed to move to court to block the implementation of the newly revised and gazetted National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) monthly contributions saying they were prohibitive.
Mr Sossion said they had not approved the new rates since NHIF did not involve them in revising the scheme.
He warned that if the Teacher’s Service Commission (TSC) deducts money from teacher’s salaries to remit to NHIF, they will take firm action including going on strike.
Mr Sossion asked NHIF to initiate dialogue with the teachers so that the new rates are agreeable to all stakeholders.
He said the union was collecting signatures of all teachers to present during the global meeting of teachers in Geneva in October to compel the government to increase funding in education.
He said increased education budget would enable overcome barriers that seen over three million Kenyan children out of school and continued Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).
