Kenya National Union of Teachers Coast leaders warn Wilson Sossion

Coast leaders of the giant teachers’ union have warned chairman Wilson Sossion against dividing members on tribal lines, saying this would weaken the union.

Speaking after World Teachers Day celebrations at Bomu Primary School in Mombasa, Kaloleni Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) executive secretary Kittu Gwengwele and his Kilindini counterpart Dan Aloo challenged Mr Sossion to declare his motive for defying tradition by gunning for the secretary-general’s post.

The region’s 11 executive secretaries passed what they called the “Bomu Declaration” to back Mr Mudzo Nzili (Coast) for secretary-general, Clement Omolo (Nyanza) for deputy secretary-general and John Mbate (Nairobi) for assistant secretary-general during the annual delegates conference to be held in December.

AGAINST SUCCESSION TRADITION

“Top officials and members do not understand why the chairman is dividing the union by his adamant stand to vie for the post against the traditions and norms of the succession process,” Mr Gwengwele said.

He accused Mr Sossion of reneging on a promise he made on June 24 to back Mr Nzili for the post, which fell vacant after the death of secretary-general David Okuta in April.

Mr Aloo accused Mr Sossion of insincerity, saying when he campaigned for the position of chairman in 2011, the 2,800 delegates elected him unanimously without bringing up regional politics.

“The acting secretary-general can only be opposed by another candidate from Coast but not from Rift Valley,” he said, warning that Mr Sossion faced the wrath of delegates if he tried to tamper with the traditions of succession.

Mr Aloo said if the chairman insisted on vying for the post, he should call for a referendum to change the union’s constitution.

Meanwhile, 17 out of 19 Knut branch executive secretaries from Rift Valley and Nyanza at the weekend endorsed Mr Sossion for secretary general.

The union leaders threw their weight behind Mr Sossion during the World Teachers Day celebrations at Kericho Secondary School.

Except for Kericho and Koibatek executive secretaries Stanley Mutai and Stanley Kiptis, all the branches, including Kisii Central and Gucha, backed Mr Sossion’s bid.

They warned that the move to have Mr Sossion contest the seat could be a trap by other regions for him to lose both the chairman and secretary-general post, locking out the province from the union’s top leadership.

However, the rest of the officials said it was naïve for some members to claim that Mr Sossion was power- hungry for declaring his interest in the seat.

“The post of secretary-general is not a preserve of candidates from specific regions as some of them would want Kenyans to believe,” said Nakuru Knut official Njau Kuria.

Reported by Mwakera Mwajefa, Geoffrey Rono and Timothy Kemei