The Kenya Post Primary Education Teachers union (KUPPET) has urged the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to reinstate the membership of the former giant union Knut.
Led by the Baringo County branch treasurer Mr Fanuel Kipsoi, Kuppet displayed their concern over the suffering of the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT).
“If the government can bring down a one-time strong union like Knut then what prevents it from turning again to kill Kuppet?” he said.
“As Kuppet, we pity our brothers and sisters in Knut for the challenges they are facing currently and we hope TSC will work out a deal as soon as possible to bring back the union to shape,” he said.
More than 100 Knut branches face closure as KNUT says it lacks enough funds to run its business. It all started back in June last year when KNUT lost more than 100,000 members in what seemed like a fight between the union and the commission.
“Although we don’t understand how the issue arose, our concern lies in the common call we have with Knut of working together to serve the interests of the Kenyan teacher and child,” Kipsoi said
Also at the meeting was Knut Baringo branch Joshua Cheptarus, chairman Silas Rutto and the Sacco CEO Jacob Mengich. Cheptarus pleaded with TSC to move with speed and bring back normalcy in the union.
“Failure to which, then we shall soon be collecting money directly from our loyal members across all the regional branches to sustain our union,” he warned.
“We cannot sit and watch as the government takes to bed one teacher union locking another one outside,” he said.
Cheptarus expressed concerns that the union staff had gone for almost two years without salaries while others failed to service their bank loans.
Earlier this year, Kuppet national chairman Omboko Milemba stated that teachers from Knut were not welcomed to join them.
“It would be like pushing Kenyan teachers to join one union which is against the spirit of trade unionism where everyone has the right to join a union of choice,” he said.
