By Roy Hezron
A fresh raw of battle has emerged between the Secretary General Wilson Sossion and the acting national Chairman Collins Oyuu of the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) this time over the convening of the union’s steering committee meeting.
In a letter dated March 8, 2021 addressed to Sossion, Oyuu reminded him to convene the steering committee meeting on March 17, 2021 to calm down allegations surrounding the union’s general elections.
“Attention is drawn to the letter dated February 24, 2021…that requested you to convene a full formal Steering Committee meeting which would have calmed down a lot of tension concerning the ongoing KNUT general elections where litigations, postponements and cancellations have so far been witnessed, surprisingly without the knowledge of the National Steering,” noted Oyuu in the letter.
Oyuu further accuses Sossion for doing everything by himself without consultation and further claims that as the branch elections are coming to an end, elected and the National Executive Committee (NEC) members still in office get know every other step leading to the Special Annual Delegates Conference whose date and venue shall be approved by the NEC.
“You know too well that consultations and meetings is the only way to go for the smooth running of this institution, and as such, it is unacceptable to see you do everything by yourself without the aforesaid important meetings and consultations,” said Oyuu in the letter.
Oyuu adds that “I therefore take this opportunity to place this final reminder and request you to convene a Steering Committee Meeting which you have intentionally not done so for the last two months. It is not in good taste to continue avoiding my persistent request to have Steering meetings for the smooth running of this great institution.”
In his reply dated March 15, 2021, Sossion stated that meetings of whatever nature in the union are convened after consultations of the top three officials who set the agenda for the meetings.
“Be informed that meetings of whatever nature are convened after meeting consultations of the 3 top officials who set the agenda for the said meetings…This we have not done and you have never walked to my office for any consultations as required by customs and practice,” said Sossion in the letter.
Sossion maintains that such meeting can only be convened after the top three union officials adequately consult, agree and set the agenda for any meetings in good faith.
The top three union officials are National Chairman which is currently being held by Collins Oyuu on acting capacity after Wycliffe Omucheyi retired, Secretary General which is being held by Wilson Sossion and who double up as nominated Member of Parliament, and Treasurer being held by John Matiang’i.
Sossion further maintains that he will continue executing administrative decisions that do not require consultations, and warns Oyuu of trying to hold the office of the Secretary General hostage for personal interests.
“You are free at any time to walk to my office for such consultations and not through correspondents that are outside the procedure of running the business of KNUT. This however does not stop the office of the Secretary General from executing obvious administrative decisions that do not require consultations,” added Sossion.
The accusations and counter accusations are expected to further jeopardize the inner wrangles in the once giant teachers union which at one point saw a pact that was against Sossion plotting to remove him, but Sossion used the court orders to fully stamp his authority in the leadership of the union.
In September 2019, a Nairobi court reinstated embattled Wilson Sossion as the union’s Secretary General days after he was ousted from the union.
The Employment and Labour Relations directed that Sossion be reinstated pending hearing and determination of a case in which he opposed his removal from office and further allowed to access KNUT bank accounts.
The embattled Sossion had been removed from office in a notice from the Registrar of Trade Unions which was addressed to the union, and which read in part “I wish to inform you that I have registered the Notice of Change of Officers covering the appointment made on August 29, 2019.”
According to the then KNUT Chairman Wycliffe Omucheyi, the National Executive Council had agreed to replace Sossion due to ‘anomalies’.
“He was seen to be running the office alone instead of with the steering committee. We advised him to work with us but he didn’t,” said Omucheyi by the time.
Sossion was also in 2018 suspended for ignoring a directive to respond to allegations of gross misconduct and show-cause-why.
And with the current development, the tag of war may also appear this time with the acting national chairman Oyuu and Sossion considering that the meeting didn’t take place as requested by Oyuu and further considering that Oyuu has shown interest in the Secretary General seat in the forthcoming national elections.
The seat has three contestants who have openly declared interest and this include Kericho Executive Secretary Stanley Kimutai and Collins Oyuu the current acting national chairman.
In the vote rich Rift Valley region, consultations among some delegates has seen a number of proposals and alliances being fronted in an effort to revamp the union in the region, and the current alliance which has been formed to outsit Sossion is that of Stanley Mutai for Secretary General, Mercy Ndung’u whom they are fronting for the position of second national women representative, and Malel Lang’at, Benard Maiyo, Francis Bundotich, Sammy Bor, Richard Lentaaya, Dorcus Jecinta and Alice Bor both who are being fronted for the positions of National Executive Committee members.
Some teachers, including branch executives, have fallen out with the fire spitting Sossion, who they accuse the union’s current woes.
Knut is on its knees because remittance from teachers is at its lowest after members dropped from 180,000 to about 30,000.
July of 2019 is perhaps the date that marked the beginning of the troubles for the once giant teachers union, Knut.
A series of disagreement on the promotion of teachers, transfer and registration opened up a legal battle between the Teacher Service Commission and the Kenya National Union of Teachers.
The court case, filed by the TSC marked the beginning of the union’s downfall.
The ruling on July 12 by Labour relations judge Bryam Ongaya largely favoured Knut but while the union basked in the outcome, the TSC tactically implemented the verdict slowly, crippling the once vibrant union.
It is a battle that involves wits with the legal minds at play, including Knut’s legal team led by Paul Muite and Hillary Sigei, while TSC was represented by lawyer Timothy Oyucho.
