Rift among Knut teachers could destroy their union

Kenyan teachers are known for their unparalleled unity. And the glue that has held them together over the years is the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut).

This union is known for agitation for better remuneration and welfare of teachers. Courtesy of its huge membership, Knut has always been a pain in the neck for the government for ages.

However, all this could turn into memories as the unity among teachers, that made workers in public sectors envious, is no more.

Union leaders no longer read from the same script. Two incidents will help illustrate this. During the last teachers’ strike pro–government union leaders visited State House in a desperate attempt to secure a deal for teachers.

This was a move they made without the blessings of the union secretary general who later came out and told teachers and the public as much.

Before Labour Day celebrations, the Knut secretary general who doubles as the Trade Union Congress’ Secretary, gave a widely publicised notice that teachers and other Kenyan workers would boycott the celebrations as a protest to a government that has allegedly neglected them.

What followed left no doubt that disunity and discord reign supreme at the Knut headquarters.

The Knut chairman and his pro–government faction allegedly released an internal memo directing all union branches to attend the Labour Day celebrations.

On the material day, they attended the celebrations in full union colours and professed teachers’ support to work with the government.

The union’s top brass had better listen to the teachers’ cry for an end to the infighting.

Teachers have already paid the price of disunity when things took an unprecedented turn during last year‘s national strike.

For the first time, teachers went on strike and came out with nothing to show for it. And since then, the relationship between teachers and the union has never been the same again.

Recent media reports that most teachers have not validated their union membership, is a clear message to the union bosses that teachers are willing to divorce Knut whom they have been in love since time immemorial.

And if this happens, the union leaders will go down in history as the greedy lot that could not put the interests of members first and consequently killed Knut, which their predecessors made lots of sacrifices to build and bestow honour and respect upon.

The future of the union depends on how the leadership plays its cards.

Meanwhile, I am a teacher and I concede each and every one of us needs a medical scheme. However, the point of departure between teachers and the union is the subscription to two medical schemes, National Hospital Insurance Fund and AON.

The deputy secretary general has also repeatedly told teachers to forget about medical allowances and enlist the services of a medical insurance company. Curiously though, nobody has explained to teachers why they need two medical schemes.