Teachers in Machakos County on Saturday voted out long-serving Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) Branch Executive Secretary Musembi Katuku and over half of the incumbent officials, signalling a wave of change across the Teachers’ union.
Mr Katuku, who has served for 24 years, lost to Ms Yvonne Musyoka, a teacher from Yatta Sub-county and the outgoing Vice chairperson.
The elections held at Machakos University were the first in the country, with the rest of the branches scheduled to hold elections every weekend until March this year.
The Machakos teachers send a message to their counterparts in other counties to take a cue and elect new blood in their ranks to steer the affairs of the union.
Yvonne Musyoka garnered 2,128 votes against Mr Katuku’s 958 in the election presided over by officials from the Ministry of Labour.
A total of 3,108 votes were cast, with 22 recorded as spoilt in the Executive Secretary position.
The Chairman position went to Mr Martin Mutisya, with Mr Justus Nzyuko elected branch Treasurer.
Other officials elected on Saturday are:
Meshack Nzaku(Assistant Executive Secretary),Martin Kawinzi(Vice Chairman),Joel Kilonzi(Assistant Treasurer),Mathew Mutuku(Organizing Secretary), Ibrahim Ngunga(Secretary Tertiary)
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Dominic Ndua(Secretary Secondary), Caroline Mbithi (Gender Secretary), Boniface Sila(Secretary JSS), Mercy Muthusi(1st Gender), Stella Musau(2nd Gender, PWDs), and Eveline Keli(3rd Gender).
Speaking at the event, the Executive Secretary, Ms Musyoka, called for unity among teachers to achieve their goals and aspirations.
She said she will be pushing for promotion of teachers, better salaries and the autonomy of Junior Secondary School teachers domiciled in Primary schools.
“I wish to congratulate ‘Team Change’ for winning the majority of the positions. I would wish to push for teachers’ promotion, better salaries and the autonomy of JSS.Domiciling the JSS in Primary School was inevitable, but we can have our own structures, and that is autonomy,” said Ms Musyoka.
She said she will also support the people elected through ‘Team office ‘, including the Chairperson, the PWDs representative, and the JSS representative, adding that the executive officers will work as one team.
The Chairman, Mr Mutisya, said the officials will implement the vision of teachers as expressed during the campaigns.
An Observer from Meru County said the teachers’ election could signal a wave of change brewing across the Country.
By Stephen Muthini.
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