The Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) has finally decided on the date for national elections.
This is after the embattled KNUT Secretary-General (SG) Wilson Sossion on Saturday bowed to pressure and convened a meeting of the top decision-making organ at the union’s headquarters in Nairobi’s Mfangano Street.
The 44 National Executive Committee (NEC) members and the National Steering Council (NSG) concluded that the exercise will take place on June 26, 2021, at the Ruaraka Sports Club in Nairobi County.
Exactly 1,878 delegates are expected to participate in an in-person poll as opposed to a virtual exercise. Nomination papers will be delivered to officers from the Ministry of Labour on the 25th of June.
110 branches of KNUT have been tasked with preparing and validating a list of delegates for the Special Delegates Conference (SDC) and send it to the union headquarters by the end of June 18.
Automatic tickets
4 top branch leaders – Executive secretary, chairperson, treasurer, and woman representative – will have automatic tickets to the Special Annual Delegates Conference (ADC).
Branch executive committee members will take other slots. In case of any additional slots, ordinary members will be included as delegates.
“The nomination of delegates to the Annual Delegates Conference shall be carried out by the branch executive council. Top officers of the branch shall automatically be delegates depending on the number of delegates allocated to each branch,” Secretary-General Wilson Sossion in a statement.
Saturday’s NEC meeting was the first to be held since 2018 which is against the constitutional provision that it be held three times a year or in such a time that the secretary-general and the national chairman considers fit.
Acting national chairman Collins Oyuu will face off Sossion in the polls following Kericho branch executive secretary Stanley Mutai dropped out and resolved for the first national vice chairman seat.
New officeholders with 11 positions at the national steering level will be filled plus 44 NEC positions that are up for grabs.
KNUT is currently in financial crisis following its dispute with the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) that saw its membership numbers and dues dwindled to Ksh35 million a month from Ksh147 million two years ago.
Mr Sossion had earlier stated that the union requires Ksh100 million to fund the election. Consequently, KNUT is looking up to international trade unions and organisations to finance the national election.
Branch officials and union workers have gone without pays for more than a year while some offices have been closed due to rent areas. Others are facing an auction from landlords following a sharp reduction in membership dues.
18 branch executive committee members in Bomet have already rallied behind Sossion to retain his seat.
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