I am not ready for compromises, Nzili tells Knut council leaders

By CHARLES NGENO and ERIC LUNGAI

Acting Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) Secretary-General Mudzo Nzili has dismissed calls by the union’s National Executive Council (Nec) to have him and chairman Wilson Sossion agree on who between the two should contest the seat.

Speaking in Narok during the branch by-election for the treasurer and vice chair seats, Nzili yesterday termed the move a simple intimidation strategy meant to scare him.

“I want to tell those pushing for consensus that I am upbeat come December. Let the delegates decide who is going to be their spokesperson.”

He warned that attempts to make teachers vote along regional lines will fail because they are “independent-minded” and “their intelligence has no regional borders”.

Impending elections

He said it was unfortunate that such attempts were aimed at making him swap roles with Sossion.

He was reacting to a call by Nakuru Executive Secretary Kuria Njau that Nec should summon him and Sossion to arrive at a consensus.

Meanwhile, Knut teachers in Vihiga have thrown their weight behind the election of Sossion as secretary general in the December elections.

During the branch Annual General Meeting on Saturday, the county executive secretary Nathaniel Shibira said they will not waver on who to support, as they had unanimously agreed to back Sossion as a county.

“Nzili should accept the position of deputy secretary general, which we will give him wholeheartedly, as he waits for his chance to be the secretary general, if it will ever come,” Shibira said.

The teachers said there was nothing like tradition in the union’s elections, in which certain positions are reserved for certain blocs, as they have been practising regional balancing over the years.

During the Vihiga AGM, Violet Bagada was elected as women’s representative in the Vihiga branch to fill the seat left by Dorcas Kedogo who resigned to join national politics.