Trans Nzoia KNUT officials re-elected for another five-year mandate in office

The outgoing Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Trans Nzoia officials have been re-elected into office affirming their five-year mandate after a resounding victory in the union’s polls conducted in Kitale last weekend.

The team led by the branch Executive Secretary George Wanjala swept the board and gave him further mandate to contest for a seat in the union’s National Executive Council (NEC) in the forthcoming AGM later in the year.

In the branch elections that were witnessed by the KNUT Secretary General Collins Oyuu, the 8-person county steering committee recorded a landslide win against their opponents, some who chickened out after sensing defeat and others being knocked out on technicalities.

At the same time, the officials who included the branch chairman Wilberforce Masinde and treasurer Phoebe Maneno backed the call by the Secretary General to the national government to reduce CBA cycles from 4 to 2 years.

According to Oyuu, worldwide for effective protection of the plight of teachers, such agreements out to recognize within 2 – 3 years adding that this is what is also contained in the Statutes of the International Labour Organization ILO.

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President William Ruto while addressing teacher leaders from both KNUT and KUPPET at State House last year indicated that the government was set to complete covering for the Collective Bargaining  Agreement in four years with the continuous growth of the economy.

But leading the Trans Nzoia teachers during the branch elections, Oyuu declared for the period to be lessen for teaching fraternity to also fight against the high cost of living.

Also elected were the vice-chair ma Anthony Kalenda, assistant Executive Secretary Dominic Kiboi, assistant treasurer Julie Mwaseme, the Woman Representative Patricia Melissa and the representative of People Living with Disabilities (PWD) Levi Wekesa.

According to the voters, the officials were voted back into office because of their total commitment to serving members without bias, fear and tribal connections.

The re-election of the leaders comes on the heels after the enhanced recruitment exercise of members to the branch which perched them to the third position of the 110- branch strong union behind Nyambene and Nakuru.

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Currently, the branch boasts of 3,800 members of the total 4,500 population in the county from 400 in 2021 when Wanjala was first elected as the Executive Secretary upon serving as the branch chairman.

Speaking recently, Wanjala said talks between TSC, KNUT and KUPPET were ongoing to revise the policy of the Junior Secondary School teachers (JSS) becoming direct members of KUPPET once they join the post primary learning institutions.

On quest for the NEC seat, Wanjala noted that having worked as the Rift Valley representative; he would be bringing vast experience to national office that will traverse boundaries.

“I want to thank the Trans Nzoia members for their overwhelming support and endorsing me a national slot. My honest promise is that l will continue discharging my duties fairly,” he added.

By Abisai Amugune