By Education Reporter
The first hurdle for Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) Kericho branch Secretary Stanley Mutai in his bid for the union’s Secretary General has been cleared.
At the weekend, Mutai came out guns blazing to announce that he has all the arsenals required to oust the union Secretary General Wilson Sossion in the coming Knut elections for the top officials. He said his intention to capture the union top most seat was still on course after being re-elected as the branch secretary.
Mutai’s declaration was buoyed by winning the branch elections that were conducted on Saturday at the Kericho Teachers’ Training College playing ground. The branch secretary beat Ann Cheruiyot, a Sossion close ally in hotly contested elections when he polled 312 votes against Cheruiyot 294. Cheruiyot was the branch Women Representative.
Speaking after being declared the winner by the Kericho Labour Officer Richard Litaba, Mutai vowed to bring down Sossion from the Knut top post and confine him in Bomet County where he (Sossion) hails from.
“I have all the arsenals required to beat Sossion and become the next union’s secretary general. It is now me and brother Sossion head-on. We will bring you down, Mr. Sossion. Sossion is going home in Bomet. Get it from me”, Mutai added.
Mutai said Sossion will lose terribly when they face-off during the elections to pick the next secretary general and other top posts.
“I am declaring war between me and Sossion and I am ready for this until Sossion goes home. It is high time for the Secretary General to go home in Bomet because he has brought the union to the lowest ebb,” Mutai stated.
Mutai said if he is elected the next secretary general he will bring back the union to where it was during the past secretary generals from the time of Ambrose Adongo to Xavier Nyamu.
The Kericho branch secretary claimed he has a huge following from the many branches across the country but said he will still mount elaborate campaigns to bring all branches to his bandwagon ahead of the elections for the union top officials.
Though he did not name the branches on his side, Mutai is upbeat that he will beat Sossion owing to the huge following he claims he enjoys from across the country. Mutai is the first Knut official to announce his intention to contest the post of the secretary general currently being held by Wilson Sossion.
Mutai said once in office he will ensure there is a cordial relationship between the Teachers Service Commission, the government and the union so that teachers or the union members reap maximum benefits.
Mutai declared that there was no enemity between Cheruiyot and him. He said she was a good colleague at the Kericho office.
Knut deputy national Treasurer James Muuo Ndiku who witnessed the Kericho branch elections said union was on course fighting to ensure teachers get promotions and that Collective Bargaining Agreement is adhered to the letter.
During the elections, David Rono retained his post as the branch chairman after beating Paul Bett by garnering 337 votes against Bett’s 261. In the post of the Treasurer, the incumbent Gideon Mugun lost to Lucy Cherono Sang. Mugun got 295 votes while Sang polled 311 votes.
Hellen Misik is the new Women Representative after winning the election. She garnered 307 votes against her closest opponent Chepkwony Betty who polled 301 votes. Daniel Tirop is the vice-chairman. He got 313 votes while his opponent Kipkirui Kirwa garnered 289 votes. Reuben Kirui clinched the post of the assistant secretary after getting 342 votes against Luther Kipkemoi’s 260.
