Knut executive storms office, replaces Wilson Sossion
What you need to know:
- Knut Secretary General Wilson Sossion has been under pressure to quit his post.
- Mr Sossion, however, said he will only leave when his term ends.
Members of the National Executive Council (NEC) of Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) on Saturday morning stormed the union headquarters and announced that embattled secretary-general Wilson Sossion was no longer in office.
Accompanied by about 20 teachers drawn from various parts of the country, the NEC members announced that Mr Hesbon Otieno is the new secretary-general.
The teachers, who arrived at the union’s headquarters at 10 am, frogmarched the watchman at the building demanding that he opens the boardroom.
Singing anti-Sossion songs, the teachers said they were there to officially occupy their property and swear Mr Otieno in as the new secretary-general.
Armed police officers were on stand-by at the headquarters’ entrance to deal with any confrontation between the union officials and supporters of Mr Sossion.
SUPREME BODY
The union’s acting chairman, Mr Wycliffe Omucheyi, said there was no supreme body in Knut other than NEC which had made a decision.
“I want to assure teachers across the country that there is no crisis; we are intact and members will be served even better with our new secretary-general,” Mr Omucheyi said.
He added: “We don’t care whether he has two jobs or not, that is for the courts to decide. He has been removed because of contradicting decisions made by NEC, dishonesty and incompetence,” Mr Omucheyi said.
Chairman of trustees of the union John Gitari confirmed that there was a change in the post of secretary-general.
On Thursday, during Labour Day celebrations, Mr Sossion maintained he was the bonafide secretary-general of Knut and nobody could remove him from office before his term comes to an end.
BONAFIDE MEMBER
Mr Gitari said they have a letter from the registrar of labour confirming the position of NEC that Hesbon Otieno is the new SG of Knut.
“As far as trustees are concerned and further advised by the registrar of labour, our Secretary General is Hesbon Otieno,” Mr Gitari said.
Despite the ouster claims, Mr Sossion has maintained that he is still the bona-fide secretary general of Knut.
Speaking during Labour Day celebrations on May 1, 2018, Sossion said he was elected by the teachers to represent them as Knut secretary-general and nobody can remove him from office until his term comes to an end.
“I am the national secretary general of the Kenya national union of teachers, duly elected by the teachers of Kenya,” Mr Sossion said.
