Battle lines drawn as Tonui declares bid to oust Misori in KUPPET Secretary General race

The contest for the powerful Secretary General seat of the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) has taken a dramatic turn after former Bomet Central MP Ronald Kiprotich Tonui officially declared his intention to challenge incumbent Akello Misori in the upcoming national elections.

In a letter addressed to the union’s National Governing Council (NGC) and routed through the Secretary General’s office at KUPPET headquarters in Nairobi, Tonui confirmed his candidature, citing provisions of the Labour Relations Act and the union’s constitution that allow eligible members to vie for national leadership positions.

“Pursuant to the Labour Relations Act section 31(4)(a) and KUPPET constitution articles 13.0(a) and 13.0(a)(ii), I submit my intention to vie for the position of the KUPPET Secretary General through the National Governing Council,” Tonui wrote.

The embattled KUPPET vice treasurer further confirmed that he had paid the mandatory Ksh 500,000 nomination fee and attached a bank slip as proof of payment.

He also affirmed that his union membership dues are fully paid, making him eligible to contest.

Tonui’s entry into the race sets the stage for a high-stakes showdown with Misori, who has served as Secretary General during a period marked by intense negotiations with the government over teachers’ welfare salaries and the implementation of the Competency-Based Education (CBE) system.

Campaigning under the slogan “Vote for Experience, Vote for Results,” Tonui is positioning himself as a reform-minded leader ready to steer the union in a new direction.

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His declaration comes at a time when branch elections across the country have ushered in what he describes as “new, vibrant and reform-driven leadership,” signaling what he terms a desire for change at the national level.

In recent remarks, Tonui has openly criticized the current national leadership, calling for greater accountability and structural reforms within KUPPET.

He argues that the union must adopt a more assertive stance in defending teachers’ rights and welfare.

The former legislator emphasized that the teaching profession deserves respect and recognition, advocating for competitive salaries and a supportive working environment to motivate educators and enhance the quality of education nationwide.

Among his key policy positions is the push for structural independence of Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) within the Competency-Based Education framework. Tonui maintains that the original benchmarking studies conducted before the rollout of CBE — including studies in countries such as Japan — recommended autonomous primary, junior secondary and senior secondary institutions.

He has strongly criticized the decision to domicile JSS within primary schools, terming it a policy miscalculation that ignores research findings and professional advice from stakeholders.

“There was thorough benchmarking before implementation. What came out clearly is that each level of learning must be autonomous,” Tonui said in a recent address.

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According to him, mixing younger primary pupils with adolescents in junior secondary has created administrative confusion and failed to address developmental and psychological differences. He proposes that JSS institutions be granted independent administrative structures, complete with principals and deputies, arguing that this would also unlock leadership opportunities and address teacher job stagnation.

Tonui has also vowed to aggressively champion the welfare of teachers involved in national examinations.

He has called on the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) to immediately pay teachers who served as examiners, invigilators and supervisors in last year’s examinations, decrying delays and what he describes as inadequate compensation.

“It is extremely frustrating for teachers to sacrifice their time to ensure the examination process runs smoothly, only for their payments to be delayed while the rates remain very low,” Tonui said.

He has further proposed that unions demand interest on delayed payments and push for periodic reviews of examination allowances to reflect inflation and economic realities.

With KUPPET representing thousands of post-primary school teachers across Kenya, the Secretary General position remains one of the most influential roles in the education sector.

As nomination processes gather momentum, union insiders expect a heated contest that could redefine the direction of the teachers’ movement.

For now, the battle lines are clearly drawn, setting up a defining duel between Tonui and Misori for the helm of one of Kenya’s most powerful education unions.

By Philip Koech