This archive report was first published on 30 August 2019.
On August 30, 2019, the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) was at the centre of a governance crisis that threatened the education sector's peace and stability.
Established in 1957, Knut had a stellar history of aggressive agitation and representation of teachers, but recent times had seen the union suffer serious setbacks.
The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) had been selective in its interpretation and application of court rulings, causing pain to teachers who were denied promotions and improved salaries and benefits.
Furthermore, the TSC had refused to deduct and remit agency fees to the union, contrary to labour laws, exacerbating the financial woes of teachers.
As a result, teachers lost motivation and drive to deliver, affecting the quality of teaching and learning, and ultimately, the economy.
The role of a union is to represent workers' interests, but Knut under Wilson Sossion had been uncharacteristically abrasive, fighting everything and everyone, even when unnecessary.
Yesterday's ugly sight of some officials storming the union's headquarters in Nairobi was the height of it all, and unless Knut does self-introspection, rediscovers itself, and reorganises its leadership, it is destined for destruction.
A strong union is good for the teachers, education sector, and the country at large, and the unrelenting contestation between Knut and TSC must stop.
