By Roy Hezron
The battle between Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Secretary General Wilson Sossion and the acting national Chairman Collins Oyuu seems to widen this time round being directed to the delays and postponements of Mumias branch elections.
Speaking in Mumias on March 27, 2021, Oyuu stated that all branches were supposed to have concluded their elections by the end of March and wondered why Mumias election have been postponed for three times now.
He accused Sossion together with his supporters for having a hand in the delays and postponements for the branch to conduct its elections assuring teachers that the elections must be conducted before the national elections.
“I want to urge the teachers of Mumias to be strong as we are working round the clock to ensure that this elections are held in very good time and before the national elections, any other elections in this region must be suspended until elections for Mumias branch are held,” said Oyuu.
Oyuu 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.”
Oyuu said Sossion will not make it by playing around with the election of the branch adding that teachers are now tired and what they just want now is service.
“The teachers of this republic are tired and things must be put straight and if you thing you can run around and mismanage this great union, we are telling you No! We cannot toil to have elections of a branch that has had its election suspended thrice; and then you come in to meander around and have this elections again postponed, we shall not forgive you and I am saying whoever you are (Sossion) get it right we shall not play around with anybody,” said Oyuu.
Oyuu added that “If you think you can mismanage this great union we are saying No! This is not a personal kiosk, we shall all go through the ballot, hiyo biashara ya pesa nane lazima izimishwe kabisa and teachers of this republic need service.”
According to the union’s election calendar, the branch was supposed initially to hold its elections in March 13, 2021 which was later postponed to March 21, 2021 and then to March 27, 2021.
All branches were supposed to have concluded their elections in March 20, 2021 with Sotik branch being the last branch to hold its elections.
