Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) officials in Nyando have expressed confidence as branch elections approach later this month, with Executive Secretary Ephraim Kanang’a leading the call for continuity in leadership.
Kanang’a said he deserves re‑election, citing effective delivery of his mandate. He pointed to the acquisition of land for a wellness centre as one of the branch’s major achievements, describing the project as unfinished business that requires completion. “I should be reelected to office because I have effectively delivered on my mandate,” he said.
The official highlighted his role in championing teachers’ rights, including fighting punitive transfers, addressing stagnation in grades, and ensuring proper access to medical care. He added that he has successfully concluded more than twenty disciplinary cases on behalf of members.
Kanang’a faces a challenge from Joseph Obala, a teacher at Pap Ndege School, who is contesting the position of executive secretary.
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Meanwhile, Kanang’a has warned the government against scaling down or withdrawing hardship allowances for teachers working in adverse areas. He insisted that allowances for tutors in hardship zones such as Muhoroni and Nyando in Kisumu County must remain intact. “The teacher’s hardship allowances should not be touched, at whatever cost. According to International Labour Organisation standards, whatever a worker has been given cannot be taken away. It can only be added. They will have to kill us all before taking it away,” he declared.
Reports indicate that the government has already cut hardship allowances for thousands of civil servants, including teachers. Kanang’a criticised the move and accused the state of attempting to evade financial obligations through the introduction of the Kenya Education Management Information System (KEMIS).
He argued that instead of introducing KEMIS, the government should improve the existing National Education Management Information System (NEMIS). “They are now introducing another policy called KEMIS; that is to say, they are running away from NEMIS. It is the same government that distributes learning materials to schools. The books are given per child, but when it comes tothe disbursement of funds to schools, it is given in a different way,” Kanang’a said.
By Fredrick Odiero
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