Over 900 Embu teachers have allegedly been compelled by the Teachers Service Commission (tsc) to quit their union, an official has said. The Kenya National Union of Teachers’ (KNUT) branch executive secretary Josphat Kathumi said they have severely dropped from 1,200 members in June last year to simply 300.
He blamed TSC for intimidating its members and resing to remit their monthly contributions. Kathumi was speaking during the union’s elections at the Talent Academy in Embu County.
He said TSC’s manoeuvres had indicated that he and the other staffers have not earned their salaries for over 9 months. In the elections that saw all the outgoing officials re-elected, unchallenged, KNUT members stated that they will vote against the BBI if the TSC is allowed to kill Knut.
“We know it is the government that is using the TSC to kill the union and this is something we shall not accept. We will fight to ensure the welfare of all the teachers is looked into,” he said.
The unionist urged President Uhuru Kenyatta to ensure that teachers do not hurt in the hands of the TSC. The Knut executive secretary was accompanied by national council member Julius Taitumi who revealed that he will vie for the Manyatta parliamentary seat in the next election.
He said he will fight for the well-being of the teachers and all the other residents if he is elected as MP.
John Muchiri is the current Member of Parliament but will be contending for the Embu gubernatorial seat. Teachers vowed to support and vote for him, urging other colleagues who have political ambitions to go ahead and vie.
