By Augustine Oduor
Kenya Union of Post-Primary Teachers (Kuppet) is racing against time to conduct its national elections to save the union from deregistration.
Union officials moved to court on Wednesday to ‘agree’ on all court cases ahead of national elections on June 25.
Secretary General Njeru Kanyamba confirmed that most court cases were on Wednesday withdrawn to pave way for elections.
The court battle between two rival camps led by the national chairman Akelo Misore and Kanyamba stalled the elections.
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But on Wednesday, the union made strides towards quelling the growing dissent after Kanyamba agreed to register disputed Mombasa delegates.
"I signed Form Q to reduce tension. Kiambu branch case was also withdrawn. We are now headed for elections," he said.
The move follows a resolution by a special delegates conference last month that formed an Independent Electoral Committee to spearhead the elections.
Part of the mandate of the committee was to talk to all contestants on the need to withdraw court cases.
David Kibe, the committee chair said Kanyamba had registered the delegates in Mombasa and confirmed elections in Nairobi will be held this Saturday.
"All is now well. We have branch elections on Saturday 18, this will be followed by national elections later this month," he said.
Legitimate winners
A court case filed by national assistant treasurer, Benta Oswago, stopped elections at the Nairobi branch after conflicting election dates were issued. She said Kanyamba and the Nairobi branch secretary general have connived to create technicalities through the court with intention of locking out some of the delegates and contestants.
She also claimed that Kanyamba refused to register legitimate winners in Kiambu and Mombasa.
The case saw Justice Isaac Mukunya put the elections on hold for three months.
But speaking to The Standard on Wednesday, Kibe said the committee managed to solve the wrangles that dogged the union election process and restored sanity.
The union will however do more to win confidence of its members after its rivals, Kenya National Union of Teachers raised the elections bar high two weeks ago.
