Wilson Sossion’s tenure as the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Secretary General hangs in the balance after he was on Monday, July 29, struck off the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) list as a registered educator.
TSC removed the firebrand union leader from the list just three days after the Employment and Labour Relations Court upheld TSC’s January 2019 decision to deregister Mr Sossion.
Justice Byram Ongaya said the KNUT Sec-Gen was nominated to the National Assembly to champion ODM Party’s agenda, and not the teachers’.
In a July 29 letter by the director of Teacher Management, Mary Rotich, TSC says besides being nominated to Parliament to root for ODM welfare, Mr Sossion also sabotaged the piloting of the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) in 11 counties on April 23, 2019.
“Pursuant to the termination of your services as a teacher with the Teachers Service Commission in a letter dated January 15, 2019, I am directed by the TSC to say in accordance with the provisions of Section 33 of the Teachers Service Commission Act, No. 20 of 2012, the Commission has determined that your name be removed from the Registrar of Teachers with effect from July 29, 2019 for the following reasons:
“… you caused paralysis of the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) training on April 23, 2019 at various centres in 11 counties namely Kakamega, Bungoma, Kajiado, Kitui, Machakos, Garissa, Siaya, Kisii, Nyamira, Vihiga and Kwale.
“… you did not act with impartiality and loyalty; honesty and objectivity regardless of your political views when you accepted nomination of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Party of Kenya as Member of Parliament in 2017 in contravention of the Code of Regulations for Teachers and the Teachers Service Commission Code of conduct and Ethics for Teachers,” said TSC in its letter addressed to Mr Sossion.
Mr Sossion called for teachers to boycott CBC training in the cited counties claiming the implementation of the new curriculum was being conducted in violation of the law.
The nominated MP has 90 days to appeal against the decision.
Should he choose a review, Mr Sossion will have to submit his appeal to the TSC Secretary, Mrs Nancy Macharia.
If his removal from TSC list stands, Mr Sossion can only be reregistered as a teacher after 18 months from the date of removal.
Last Saturday, the lawmaker said TSC’s decision to delete his name from the teachers’ register has no negative effect on his position as the KNUT Sec-Gen.
“Any termination of employment of a full-time elected union official shall not affect his/her rights in the union as per our terms of service. Furthermore, a General Secretary of a Union as per the labour relations act does not necessarily have to be trained in that trade,” said Mr Sossion.
Mr Sossion was in March, 2016 re-elected as KNUT Sec-Gen unopposed.
His term at the helm of KNUT, had it not been for his nomination to Parliament, should be ending in 2021.
