The embattled Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) National Assistant Treasurer Ronald Tonui has claimed that the union national office is funding pro-National Executive Board (NEB) members in branches countrywide to vie for key positions in forthcoming elections.
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Speaking while in Narok recently, Tonui stated that the monies being deducted from Junior Secondary School (JSS) teachers who recently joined the union has never been remitted to branches, asking KUPPET National office to immediately release the funds to branches to enable them operate effectively.
“The national office of KUPPET is already sponsoring pro-NEB line-ups in all the branches funded from the national office. When the JSS joined KUPPET in February the branches are not receiving their union dues but being retained at the national office,” said Tonui.
“I call upon the national office to release those funds to branches and failure to do that, we will ensure that we follow-up on those funds until they are released to branches, so that they cannot be used to manipulate the next KUPPET elections,” he added.
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Tonui urged KUPPET members to be vigilant in the next coming elections in their respective branches and vote wisely in order to elect leaders who will serve the interest of teachers.
“I call upon the members of the union to ensure that they identify those one who are being sponsored by the national office. We need to ensure that we strengthen the national office by voting out the whole national office, it no longer serves the interest of teachers,” said Tonui.
However, KUPPET Deputy Secretary General Moses Nthurima rubbished the claims raised by Tonui, stating that all the monies that are deducted from teacher’s pays lips are send to branches.
Speaking to Education News, Nthurima noted that 65 per cent of what is deducted from teachers in terms of union dues is remitted to branches, refuting claims that they are retaining money in the head office to fund officials in branches.
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“That is detractor’s campaign, all the monies that are deducted from the head office, we pay 65 per cent to branches; we don’t retain anything in the head office. And again, how can you fund branch officials when the monies are going to branches? There are the people who have the money,” said Nthurima.
At one point last year, the leadership wrangles in KUPPET took a new twist after Secretary-General Akelo Misori demanded de-registration of Tonui from the Register of KUPPET officials.
In a letter addressed to the Registrar of Trade Unions dated November 7, 2024, Misori alleged that Tonui was serving in the office irregularly and that the union cannot prove that he was re-elected into office.
However, Tonui moved to court to block the process, a case that is still ongoing.
By Hezron Roy
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