Knut, Kuppet reignite supremacy battle over teachers strike

By AUGUSTINE ODUOR

Kenya: Rival teacher unions have resorted to supremacy contests with the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) reportedly determined to demonstrate its might over the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet).

Yesterday, The Standard established that Knut has delayed rallying its members to strike to see what Kuppet whose strike is underway can achieve on its own.

A senior official at the union said that in all the previous strikes, Kuppet has acted like a pest just swimming in the efforts of Knut.

“We want to see what they can do because they have always argued that they are a strong union and that they speak for majority of teachers,” said the official.

These sentiments were reflected in the thinking of Knut national chairman Wilson Sossion who publicly accused the State of using the rival union to weaken the teaching fraternity’s unified voice.

Kuppet national chairman Omboko Milemba, however, termed it “desirous” failure by Knut to join the strike.

“We are fighting the same cause and I do not understand why we should be fighting each other,” he said.

He noted that Knut has never agitated for harmonisation of allowances and only started to push for it after Kuppet made serious statements.

He said leave allowance should have been effected long ago as Knut pushed for it. “Since 1981, when the Waruhiu Commission was set up to look into harmonised allowances for both teachers and civil servants, nothing has been implemented,” he said.

Milemba said primary school head teachers, largely represented by Knut, already draw responsibility allowances yet their secondary counterparts do not.

“If they say they represent all teachers why have they not fought to see principals also get these allowances?” he said.

He said on matters of common interest, it was important for both unions to unite because all teachers stood to benefit.

Sossion, however, said his union is holding back from the strike to allow the State time to think through before they lodge a serious boycott.

“We are doing this for strategic and logistical reasons. We are also waiting for school principals to come back to their stations from the ongoing conference in Mombasa,” he said.