Tension is brewing as Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) braces for another National Governing Council (NGC) meeting this Friday amid fears that a section of branch officials submitted a petition to the union Secretary General Akelo Misori to punish rebellious branch officials who did not support the unceremonious ending of the union’s recent strike.
According to an Internal Memo sent to all branch Executive Secretaries – who are also members of the NGC – dated September 18, 2024, the meeting, whose agenda was not indicated in the memo, will be convened at Kasarani Sportsview Hotel in Nairobi.
“You are hereby invited to a National Governing Council meeting which will take place on Friday September 20, 2024 at Kasarani Sportsview Hotel, Nairobi, starting from 9.00 a.m. please be punctual,” reads the memo.
Suspicion and mistrust seems to have taken centre stage ahead of the meeting whose expected main agenda is to look at the gains and losses in the just concluded strike, even after it emerged that close to 9 Executive Secretaries believed to be in support of the contentious decision submitted a petition yesterday seeking to discuss the conduct of several branch Executive Secretaries and deliberate whether they will face disciplinary action.
Those believed to be targeted for punishment included Joseph Abincha (Kisii), Orwa Jasolo (Migori), Sabala Inyeni (Vihiga), Zachary Nyomboi (Baringo), Robert Miano (Laikipia), William Lengoyiap (Samburu), Paul Rotich (Nandi), Peter Omondi Oluoch (Tana River), Charles Ng’eno (Narok), Mary Rotich (Kericho), and Paul Kimetto (Bomet) among others.
Misori, in a separate communiqué to union members this morning after issuing the notice of the NGC, confirmed that the union National Executive Board (NEB) received the petition yesterday during their meeting.
“I wish to debunk the baseless rumours flying here concerning the petition that NEB received yesterday from some branch officials. The petition came in the middle of our meeting, and thus could only be an AOB yesterday. We will open and deal with it appropriately at the next meeting,” said Misori.
“Having had the privilege of reading the petition, I can state in confidence that it calls for disciplinary action for alleged gross misconduct by some union officials in accordance with our Constitution. It lays out specific grounds for such action which none of us should jeopardize before the petition is properly before the board and other appropriate organs of the union. This is a matter of basic manners,” he added.
The KUPPET boss further downplayed the fears that the petition was meant to punish union officials for practicing their democratic right.
“I can also state that the petition does not demand sanctions on union leaders, whether at the national or branch level, for their democratic expression. The notion that it targets some 19 branch leaders is plain delusion. No amount of padding will turn the fringe clique whose hateful and unethical activities the petition highlights into anything near 19 National Governing Council members,” said Misori.
He added that: “As I have observed before, the recent KUPPET strike opened a genuine rift in our members’ understanding of industrial action and negotiation. I promised here to expeditiously convene the NGC to pore over the NEB decision to suspend the strike and plan ahead. The NGC will meet this Friday. Its delay was occasioned only by the processing of other important union business into the agenda.”
A good number of union branch officials vented their frustrations on their top union officials for calling off the strike, pointing out that the due process of convening an NGC meeting was not followed, which is the only union organ to call off the strike.
By Roy Hezron
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