By Roy Hezron
Blame game continues to besiege Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) Mumias branch over delayed branch elections a situation that has found two top union officials wrangled over postponement of the branch’s polls.
The branch which has postponed its elections for a record three times is the only remaining branch which has not conducted its elections.
The stalemate has split the branch into two camps with one camp supporting the branch Chairman Rashid Wafula and the other supporting the branch Executive Secretary John Wesonga.
It is alleged that Wafula and branch treasurer Job Mwanza are being favoured by the union Secretary General Wilson Sossion for nomination to retain their seats while Wesonga and his camp are being supported by the National acting chairman Collins Oyuu.
Speaking to Education News recently on phone, Wafula denied the allegations saying it is a total lie that they are being favoured by Sossion claiming that it’s his Executive Secretary being favoured by the acting national Chairman Oyuu.
“We are not in any way being favoured by the Secretary General, in fact I can write and claim that it is the Executive Secretary and his team who are being favoured by the National Chairman because, on March 27, 2021 the national chairman travelled all the way from Nairobi to Mumias; and had a meeting with them in which they were castigating me and the treasurer and they even included the name of the Secretary General as planning to nominate us an exercise I have never witnessed,” said Wafula.
According to the branch chairman, they first requested the head office to give them an earlier date so that they avoid clashing with Matungu by-elections campaign which felled within the branch hence they were given February 21, 2021 from March 13, 2021 as it was scheduled in the union’s election calendar.
However it is not clear why the officials requested for an earlier date considering that Matungu’s by –election was conducted on March 4, 2021 implying that the climax for the campaigns could be in the last two weeks of February.
While approaching the date, one member of the BEC went to court to block the election claiming that he was suspended from his position unprocedurely hence the court suspended the elections till March 3, 2021 where it said it will its verdict, after which the case was later withdrawn from the court after some consensus reached among the parties in between.
According to Sossion’s letter to the branch Executive Secretary dated March 5, 2021, a new date for the branch to hold its polls was set as March 27, 2021 which was copied to the Labour Commissioner in the Ministry of Labour, registrar of trade union, County labour officer in Kakamega, the union’s acting national chairman and treasurer, and to both the branch chairman and the treasurer.
“…you are hereby directed to give a clear notice of at least 14 days to avoid litigations with respect to KNUT branch elections upon extraction of the orders as directed by the court. The new date of the branch elections therefore will be March 27, 2021,” directed Sossion in the letter.
As the date was approaching, a circular from the Secretary General to all branch Executive Secretaries dated March 15, 2021 suspended all the scheduled union’s elections affecting the Mumias branch, just few days after the presidential fourteenth address to the nation on March 12, 2021 urging that the timeline for elections is still adequate enough once the third wave is contained.
“All forms of gathering restricting persons not exceeding 100 shall affect our remaining elections. Therefore, all elections scheduled are suspended until after the restrictions are reviewed to ensure compliance with the directives,” said Sossion in the circular.
As these directives were still in force, the branch Executive Secretary fixed March 28, 2021 as another new date for elections for the branch in his letter to Sossion dated March 25, 2021 which was later declined by Sossion on ground that his March 25, 2021 letter was not signed by all the top branch officials.
“We acknowledge with many thanks receipt of your letter dated March 25, 2021 informing us that the branch is ready to conduct elections on Sunday March 28, 2021…This is to inform you that we need a letter signed jointly by the three top officials of the branch showing that you have all agreed that the elections should be done on Sunday,” said Sossion in the letter dated March 26, 2021 in part.
This seems to conquer with the branch chairman’s letter to the Executive Secretary on the same date though he urged the executive secretary they-the chairman, executive secretary and the treasurer-meet on March 30, 2021 so that they deliberate on the most convenient date of holding the branch elections, of which according to the branch chairman the executive secretary has not replied.
Since the matter greatly affects the branch, when Education News tried to reach Wesonga on phone to get his side of the story regarding the ongoing drama in the branch’s election he simply replied by referring us to what the acting national chairman Collins Oyuu said on March 27, 2021 while in Mumias, claiming that Sossion is trying to stop him from eying the national office.
“You heard on radio, in social media and what the national chairman said and that is the position. We cannot arrange it (the branch elections) managing the show, switching it on and off, he doesn’t want me participate in the national office and you know Omucheyi retired,” said Wesonga.
On March 27 this year while in Mumias, Oyuu had alleged that there some officials from the branch who are planning to dodge the election so that they can be nominated by Sossion since all the branches of the union have concluded their branch elections.
“A section of the BEC would not wish the elections to be conducted because they know themselves as outright losers. Rumours doing the rounds say that there are plans to nominate some officials to stand in for this branch. I am the national chairman and the constitution of this great union is so clear that for one to hold office you must go through the ballot,” said Oyuu.
He added that “If somebody is cheating anybody that you shall be nominated for a position in the BEC, forget about him even school representatives are not nominated they are all elected, and for a senior official in the branch to believe that he or she will wait for nomination wacha hiyo biashara, you we must go for an election for those elected right through the ballot to hold office.”
Chronology of Events in Mumias branch elections
- Elections postponed from March 13,2021 to February 21, 2021
- To avoid clashing Matungu by-elections campaign.
- BEC member go to court to stop the elections
- March 27, 2021 new date communicated by Sossion in March 5, 2021 letter after case withdrawn from court.
- Sossion cancel all union scheduled elections in a circular dated March 15, 2021 following presidential 14th address on Covid-19.
- The circular affects Mumias hence no elections.
- Wesonga fixed another date of election as March 28, 2021 and communicated the same to Sossion in his March 25, 2021 letter.
- Sossion decline to accept the request in March 26, 2021 letter.
- March 26, 2021 Wafula request Wesonga they meet March 30, 2021 to fix a convenient date of elections.
- March 27, 2021 Oyuu tours Mumias branch.
