We don’t recognize Sossion as Knut secretary general, says officials

Officials of the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) from the Central Region have vowed not to work with deposed KNUT Secretary General Wilson Sossion despite a court order reinstating him to the position.
The union officials also vowed that they will not recognise Sossion as their Secretary General.
The officials who were led by their representative in the KNUT National Executive Council (NEC) Mr. Michael Muna said despite Sossion obtaining court orders to stay at the helm of the giant teachers union, they were not ready to work with him.
Muna was optimistic that the court ruling expected on May 28 on a petition filed by Sossion will vindicate the decision of the NEC to kick out the besieged Secretary- general once and for all.
Speaking when they visited one of their colleagues who was involved in accident in Murang’a on Saturday, the union leaders accused Sossion of paralysing operations of KNUT saying that there were many underlying matters affecting teachers which needed urgent address.
“We want this matter on leadership to end soon so that we embark on addressing many challenges affecting our members,” said Muna.
He noted it will be very hard for the embattled secretary general to work with the NEC which rejected him.
“Already Sossion has been de-registered from by the Registrar of Trade unions besides being removed as a signatory of KNUT accounts. So it will be a challenge for him to work for the union,” added Muna.
Sossion who is also a nominated MP on Thursday got a reprieve after the Employment and Labour Relations Court extended orders to stay stopping his ejection from his office.
Muna divulged that the KNUT officials from the Central region inititated the move to remove Sossion from the position of Secretary General in 2017 saying majority of NEC members have supported the idea.
“NEC members have agreed to replace Sossion and we now have Mr. Hesbon Otieno as acting secretary general,” added Muna.
Meanwhile the Knut official decried what he termed as suffering of teachers as they seek medical services.
Muna said teachers are being turned away from many hospitals as the insurance company which covers teachers has not been remitting money to the health facilities.
“The teachers’ medical scheme is just a scandal, our members are being turned away since the company insuring teachers has been receiving money from the Teachers Service Commission but fail to remit the money to hospitals,” he noted.
The official said they will push for the removal AON Insurance Company from providing medical cover for teachers.
“Civil servants get better medical services than teachers and we want the company contracted to offer medical insurance cover for teachers to be barred from doing so,” he further added.
By Bernard Munyao