Kenya National Union of Teachers Secretary General Wilson Sossion Friday resigned after years of leadership conflict.
The union boss in a press conference at the Windsor Hotel in Nairobi said “he has outgrown the Kenya National Union of Teachers,” and will focus on articulating workers’ issues through his parliamentary post.
Sossion’s resignation comes hours to the Knut election scheduled for Saturday at Ruaraka Sports Grounds in Nairobi.
“I have today decided that in the interest of KNUT continuity, its membership and myself I hereby today the 25th day of June 2021, bow out of KNUT leadership honourably.
“I shall remain loyal to KNUT and I will always be available to advise and support the leadership of the union. I trust that the government of Kenya as I exit will find it necessary to allow union dues to flow to KNUT again,” Sossion said in a statement at a press conference.
Wilson Sossion in a past event.
Image: courtesy
It will mark nine active years of service at the helm of Knut first as a chairman before taking over the powerful Secretary-General role which also doubles as the union’s spokesman.
Sossion in his resignation speech said he was ready to pave the way at the union if it would allow the Teachers Service Commission to smoothly remit union dues.
“I would wish to restate that KNUT members deserve credit for the restrain and sobriety they have shown in the face of open provocation and frustration by the government.
“I salute all the members of KNUT including my colleagues in the leadership who have endured without salaries for two years,” he said.
“I salute the late Executive Secretary of KNUT, Narok branch who died at home because of lack of medical cover and I urge them (teachers) to remain resilient to the end,” he added.
Wilson Sossion addressing journalist in a past event.
Image: courtesy
Sossion said Knut members deserved credit for the restrain and sobriety they have shown in the face of open provocation and frustrations by the government.
The elections slated for tomorrow had sharply divided the union top officials with a section seeking to oust Sossion.
They blame him for the misfortunes that have befallen the union in the last three years and seen its membership drop from an all-time high of 187,000 to 16,000.
