Kenya Union of Post Primary Education (KUPPET) Tana River and Laikipia branches have rejected the recent proposals to introduce a pro-rata policy meant to increase the representation by delegates during the Union’s Annual Delegates Conference (ADC) stating that it will not see the light of the day.
Tana River Executive Secretary Omondi Oluoch told Education News that the Union does not need pro-rata because it will be unfair to regions with few teachers and is just one way of keeping few leaders in power.
“That’s conmanship because some of these guys have realized that they have outlived their relevance in the union and when everyone has fair ground, they can’t compete. So they are now bringing something through the back door in the name of pro-rata to hold onto leadership. It is a way of cementing their grip on power. Our Union does not need pro-rata,” said Oluoch.
“The union is for members. People who are employed and practicing teachers. So how should they be represented by retirees? Somebody has retired and they know they can’t be voted for, so how do they stay put? Let us bring pro-rata. We have said No! They should go home to pave way for younger leadership. These guys should be mentors not tormentors, so they should mentor new leaders to take over from them just like Moses did to Joshua,” he added.
Oluoch further explained that the Union neither employs nor deploys teachers, thus they should not punish those branches with few teachers and warned those boasting of more members that all unconstitutional clauses added in the union constitution need to be removed during this Constitutional moment.
His Laikipia counterpart, Robert Miano, reiterated the sentiments adding that pro-rata is meant to keep few individuals in power after making constitutional amendments in 2021 which helped them sail into power.
“You see how they protected themselves in 2021 so that nobody removed them? Now they have come up with pro-rata to help them again,” said Miano.
Miano explained that pro-rata will obligate 10 unofficial delegates to represent 1,000 members or rather 100 delegates will be repped by 1 delegate. After voting in national elections, they go back home awaiting the next elections or all major decision-making events.
“Imagine that I’m a contestant in an election but there are several voters whom I’m not aware of. However, their names are sent to the national office days before elections. This seems like pre-rigging already and you can’t beat the picked contestant! That’s misusing teachers, if you want teachers to become delegates make them officials, let them be elected and earn allowances for five years and not just one day when you need them to help you,” he said.
Currently, all 47 branches are represented by 10 delegates each, who are officials elected during a general election held after every 5 years at the Annual Delegates Conference (ADC). The conference is usually attended by close to 470 delegates – considering that Mandera was recently registered as a branch – irrespective of the number of members in the branch.
By Roy Hezron
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