Teachers’ officials feud over conference venue

Trouble is once again looming at the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) over the venue of its 62nd annual delegates’ conference.

Whereas Knut Secretary-General Wilson Sossion has indicated that the meeting would be held in Kakamega, National Chairman Wycliffe Omucheyi insists that the event be held in Nairobi due to a financial crisis the union is facing.

Mr Sossion said the Kakamega meeting would be held between December 16-18.

“Among the other agenda of the conference, a by-election to fill various vacant positions shall be conducted as a consequence of retirement and resignation from the union,” he said in a letter dated October 14 to branch executive secretaries in 110 branches.

The list of 1,877 delegates who will participate in the conference should be submitted by November 15, he said.

However, Mr Omucheyi in a letter dated October 16 said: “As it is in your knowledge, the constitution of Knut demands that the dates for annual delegates conference be fixed by national executive council (NEC).”

He said during their meeting on October 7 at Knut headquarters and another one on October 10 at Maanzoni Lodge, they resolved that the meeting be held in Nairobi due to the financial crisis at the union.

“I hereby advise you as follows — issue a notice of change of venue from Kakamega to Nairobi as resolved by the steering committee and call for NEC special meeting to plan for the conference,” said the national chairman in the letter.

Central has 211 delegates, Coast (139), Eastern (392), Nairobi (24), Nyanza (327), rift Valley (503) and western (230) making the total of 1,877.