- A group of Yatta teachers have received DCI summonses over a break-in investigation following demonstrations against KNUT Yatta Branch officeholders.
- Teachers have accused the Executive Secretary of victimising them instead of representing their grievances.
- DCIO Barrack Otengo has clarified that the summonses require teachers to record statements to assist investigations, not to face arrest
By Gastone Valusi
A group of teachers in Yatta Sub-County is living in fear of arrest after receiving summonses from the local Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) office.
The detectives are compelling the teachers to record statements regarding a break-in and felony investigation, with the notice warning that failure to comply could result in immediate prosecution. This comes after a group of teachers organised demonstrations at the KNUT offices in Kithimani to air their grievances, expressing dissatisfaction with a section of the current officeholders, a move they say led to their summons.
The Yatta teachers are questioning why they are facing what they describe as victimisation for exercising their democratic right to demonstrate, and say they feel betrayed that the very office meant to protect them is the one pursuing action against them.
Daniel Mutua, a teacher in Katangi, said the problem arose following this year’s KNUT elections and the subsequent demonstrations, noting that issues of victimisation soon emerged, accompanied by intimidation from lawyers and the DCI. Mutua emphasised that teachers need to work in harmony, adding that the demonstrating teachers were merely airing their grievances, arguing that the Executive Secretary was not duly elected and should not be in office.
Catherine Nduku said most teachers were unhappy with the KNUT elections held in January this year, which prompted the demonstrations after they received letters from the DCI and lawyers. She said the Executive Secretary, who should be standing with the teachers, is the very person victimising them. Francis Muthusi, also a teacher in Yatta, said he was issued a letter via WhatsApp and feels threatened and intimidated by it, emphasising that teachers live in a democratic society and have the right to demonstrate and picket.
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Efforts to reach the current KNUT Yatta Branch Executive Secretary, Kasimba Ngui, for comment were unsuccessful.
Addressing the media, Yatta DCIO Barrack Otengo said his office had received reports of an alleged office break-in and that officers had summoned the teachers to record statements, but the teachers had failed to appear, with investigators still waiting for them. Otengo added that if the teachers feel intimidated, they have the right to file a report regarding those claims, clarifying that summoning the teachers does not mean they will be arrested, but that they are simply required to provide the DCI with information to assist in the ongoing probe.
The teachers want Executive Secretary Kasimba Ngui to withdraw the case from the DCI, saying he should be bringing teachers together and fighting for them rather than taking them to police stations to record statements.
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The dispute comes even as the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), through a government initiative, organises bonding sessions through sports for teachers nationwide. Jacob Malonza, the sports coordinator in Yatta, confirmed that teachers have been divided into different clusters from various zones to promote bonding and friendly competition, adding that the sports event will run until October 5 as part of celebrations for World Teachers’ Day, where national finalists will be honoured and promoted.
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