This archive report was first published on 1 October 2019.
Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) Leadership Crisis Deepens ¶
Published on October 1, 2019
Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) Secretary General Wilson Sossion has accused Treasurer John Matiang'i of using state machinery to undermine his leadership and dismantle the union for personal gain.
Speaking to Weekly Citizen, Sossion claimed that Matiang'i had enlisted the support of Knut Chairman Wycliffe Omucheyi and Assistant Secretary Hesbon Otieno in a bid to remove him from office.
According to Sossion, Matiang'i's family has ganged up to bundle him out of his position through the backdoor, with the treasurer using his brother Fred Matiang'i, the Interior Cabinet Secretary, to intimidate teachers and union officials.
Teachers from Nyamira County, where Matiang'i hails from, have termed him a 'Judas Iscariot' and traitor who was brought to the union by his brother to weaken its bargaining power.
They claimed that Matiang'i was using the name of his brother to intimidate teachers and Knut officials at all levels who were against the removal of Sossion from office.
Some national officials told Weekly Citizen that Matiang'i had assured them that with the removal of Sossion from office, the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) would immediately release Sh140 million, which would be shared among those who supported the course.
However, Sossion has vowed to fight on, saying that God will soon prevail and take control. He has also called on teachers to remain united and be ready to sacrifice their lives in the course of fighting for their rights, which are under threat from the Matiang'i family.
