The Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) treasurer John Matiangi has taken early retirement after serving in the position for seven years, since 2015.

He took over from Mr Albanus Muthisia as national treasurer in 2015 having deputised him for one year after replacing Mr Richard Kibagendi  who retired as national assistant treasurer after attaining 60 years in service.

Before being picked for the national office, Mr Matiang’i  was the Borabu branch executive secretary, a position he took over in 2008.

On Friday morning, Mr Matiang’i confirmed to the Nation on telephone that indeed, he had opted out voluntarily from active union politics “to focus on personal and family affairs while chatting a new professional direction,”

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“Today with my family’s support, I would like to announce my voluntary retirement as Knut treasurer and pause this phase of my professional life,” Mr Matiang’i said.

“I have never deliberately skipped work. I love my job. It is such a blessing to be able to say that” stated Mr Matiang’i in an emotional notice to his colleagues.

Mr Matiang’i said, “In the course of my public facing career, I have made some personal sacrifices for which I fell I must now recompense,”

He claimed that he was taking time off to complete his studies at the University of Nairobi which he had deferred due to the demands that came with his job.

“To be clear, this is not a decision to exit public service; it is a temporary but necessary break to allow me to take stock of my journey and map out the next phase. Even as I transition from Knut, I remain committed to my obligation as a public servant,” stated Mr Matiang’i.

Mr Wilson Sossion, the Knut secretary general, has on behalf of the National Executive Council (NEC) received the retirement letter from Mr Matiang’i who becomes the first national office to take such a move in the history of the union.

source: Daily nation newspaper

The upcoming KNUT National elections planned for May, send a lot of anxiety to teachers each passing day. Will the KNUT secretary General Wilson Sossion be on the ballot? And will he retain his seat?

Among those suspected to be interested in the KNUT secretary general seat are the KNUT treasurer John Matiang’i, KNUT deputy secretary general, Hesbon Otieno, acting KNUT chairman Collins Oyuu,and KNUT Kericho branch executive secretary, Stanley Mutai.

Sources very close to KNUT have it that Matiang’i is drawing a line up that will contest with Sossion’s line up during the KNUT delegates conference in May.

The same sources reveal that Matiang’i remains the senior most official that can easily oust Sossion, following the retirement of the former chairperson, Wycliffe Omucheyi.

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Majority of teachers, some branch executives, are currently in a fall out with Sossion, accusing him of all the woes that KNUT is currently facing.

The drop of members to below 30,000, is a very clear picture that teachers have lost trust either in Wilson Sossion, or in KNUT. In his leadership, Sossion has experienced several failed coups between 2017 and 2019, and the coup plotters are working silently on another scheme for a new phase of the tussles.

Bomet executive secretary, Malal Lang’at, said those seeking national positions won’t succeed unless they extend their campaigns to delegates in all branches.

“We have been endorsing those fellows in the head office for ages but this time, let each seat have challengers so that we elect the best,” said Lang’at.

Gucha branch executive secretary Lucy Machuki, has declared publicly that she strongly opposes Sossion’s candidature.

“I am not supporting Sossion’s candidature and am speaking it loudly because he has destroyed the union. By fighting the government, you can’t win” Machuki declared.

Executive secretaries from Butere, Mumias, Kakamega North, Lugari, Bungoma north, Teso, Kakamega central, and Hamisi, are blaming Sossion for the exodus of Members from KNUT due to his mismanagement skills.

What all these allegations mean is that, should Sossion face a strong opponent in the May elections, he may lose his seat.

Kenya National Union of Teachers, (KNUT) National treasurer John Matiang’i has hit on the teachers’ service Commission for denying teachers their freedom of worship. He called upon the clergy and MPs to speak out against the move since it is very unconstitutional.

“Church leaders and politicians should not be mute leaving their members at the mercy of employees busy in defying the Constitution. Teachers are denied an opportunity to worship on their preferred days because they must attend trainings on weekends. Like now, we have been forced to do elections on Saturday and Sunday when we are supposed to be in church. We cannot accept to work on weekends” he noted,” Matiang’i said.

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According to Matiang’i, TSC knows the gazetted official working hours and should therefore stop interfering with the social activities of teachers.

“The official working hours have been gazetted by the Ministry of Education. It is wrong to subject teachers to training when they are supposed to carry out their social activities.”

Matiang’i, who spoke at Gusii Stadium on Sunday when he presided over branch elections, also noted, that the Teachers Service Commission’s move to ban teachers from attending trainings, elections and other activities on weekdays is illegal.

The VC was referring to a TSC circular directing agencies and Non-Governmental Organisations undertaking educational tasks that require teacher participation to schedule them to weekends and school holidays.

He also accused TSC of threatening teachers not to participate in politics, saying teachers too have a right to elect leaders.

“It is our right as citizens to elect political leaders. The intimidation has to come to an end. There is religious liberty all over the World. TSC has now become a rogue commission that is implementing illegal policies and intimidating teachers. We are warning the commission that teachers will reject any form of intimidation,” he said.

With too much concern, Matiang’i noted that the actions by TSC were affecting the morale of teachers.

“Teachers are low in morale and feel threatened. Warning letters are becoming the norm of the day. You can take a cow to the river but you can’t force it into drinking water,” he said.

Further Matiang’i warned that TSC was out to kill KNUT completely.

“We had more than 100,000 members but the numbers have gone down due to intimidation by our employer. KNUT will not die and I want to ask President Uhuru Kenyatta to intervene,” he noted