This comes after the union’s National Executive Council passed a resolution to suspend Wilson Sossion for being dishonest and failing to execute decisions passed by the NEC/MOSES MUOKI
NAIROBI, Kenya, May 1 – Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Acting Secretary General Hesbon Otieno has asserted that he is the spokesman of the giant teachers union.
This comes after the union’s National Executive Council passed a resolution to suspend Wilson Sossion for being dishonest and failing to execute decisions passed by the NEC.
Otieno who was flanked by members of the NEC said he will present the teachers case during Wednesday’s meeting with the Teachers Service Commission.
“It should go very clearly to our teaching fraternity, that as from yesterday the Secretary General Honourable Wilson Sossion is suspended from office; so as I am speaking to you today I am the spokesman of KNUT.”
We want to tell our members that this union is orderly, nothing has changed and we want to urge our branches that operations will continues as normal so that our teachers can receive services,” he added.
Acting Chairman Wycliffe Omucheyi urged the suspended Secretary General to accept NEC’s resolution adding that he will be given opportunity to defend himself during the AGM.
“We want to advise our brother, we love you we have no grudge with you, we have no problem with you whatsoever but the law has said please you are no suspension respect it.”
“If you are innocent fine, the members will listen to you, the members will listen to our side and ultimately the members will decide. If you are innocent fine but we don’t want to create confusion in this giant union,” he said.
This is despite Sossion and COTU Secretary General Atwoli insisting that the he is the duly elected Secretary-General of the teachers union.
The acting Secretary General is set to advise on a date during which NEC will meet to discuss the fate of Sossion.
According to minutes seen by Capital FM News, Sossion unsuccessfully resisted attempts to introduce a motion against him constantly insisting that the NEC proceeded to discuss the agenda he had tabled.
“The SG (Sossion) walked out and stated that he wished to be allowed to proceed to the advisory council venue and that he was not part of the voting exercise,” the minutes recorded.
“Some members indicated their desire to abstain and were allowed to exercise their right to choose,” the document detailed.
The meeting was attended by KNUT top officials who included Omucheyi, Deputy Secretary-General Collins Oyuu, Acting National Treasurer Muuo Ndiku, and Acting Vice National Treasurer, Dorothy Muthoni.
Sossion’s wars at the giant teachers’ union begun ahead of the 2017 Annual Delegates Conference (ADC) when then Cabinet Secretary in the Ministry of East Africa, Labour and Social Protection, Phyllis Kandie, asked him alongside 10 other trade unionists to relinquish their positions following their election and nomination into public offices.
Sossion had been nominated to the National Assembly by the Orange Democratic Movement, a slot he accepted.
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