Wilson Sossion has resigned as the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Secretary-General.
Sossion has resigned on the eve of union elections citing failure by the government to support his leadership.
Through a statement, Sossion pledged to continue his fight for trade union members adding that so much had been achieved under his tenure.
“However, KNUT success story has not gone without hitches and challenges which I still believe were stage-managed by people with ulterior motives and enemies of trade unionism and who also thought that Sossion was a threat to State security. I believe that a strong Union is not good for the government which is a great fallacy. A strong trade union is good for quality education,” the statement reads in part.
https://twitter.com/KNUT_KE/status/1408373263101747201
Read: 90 KNUT Secretaries Seek President Uhuru’s Help Ejecting Sossion From Office
In December last year, KNUT stakeholders opted to seek the aid of President Uhuru Kenyatta in oustering Sossion.
90 out of 100 secretaries had sought to bar Sossion from running again for union elections that had been scheduled for later in the year.
Through a letter, the officials accused Sossion of suppressing the union laws and making decisions without consultations.
“The act denies him the right and democratic viability to represent workers who don’t share an employer with him anymore,” the officials noted.
The officials wanted the Head of State together with Labour CS to come to their aid and restore sanity in the union.
Read Also: KNUT Boss Sossion Slams TSC Over Circular Discouraging Teachers From Engaging In Politics
Prior to that Sossion had complained of failure to support his leadership citing frustrations from union stakeholders.
In one instance, Sossion accused the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) of instigating attacks aimed at crippling KNUT.
Through a letter dated November 9, 2020, the SG intimated that his office has raised a number of concerns to the Labour CS Simon Chelugui’s office yet none of them has been addressed.
Sossion further claimed that the TSC was on a mission to cripple the operations of KNUT by attacking the check-off systems.
Read Also: KNUT Vows To Reject Any Attempt To Reintroduce Corporal Punishment In Schools
He cited that the check-off system was withdrawn for the months of July, August and December 2019. Ideally, he intimated that TSC had been offloading KNUT members massively contrary to the provisions of section 48 of Labour and Relations Act.
“All these matters have remained unresolved and your office has gone quiet about it whereas the TSC has continued to cripple the operations of Knut by attacking the check-off system, hence systematically, gradually diminishing the resources of the union,” Sossion said.
https://twitter.com/KNUT_KE/status/1327161017407778816
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