Chaos continue to rock the former giant teachers union. On Saturday, the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) delegates opposed the proposed constitution amendment which targeted extension of retirement age of union officials by five years.

The disappointed delegates protested against the attempts by Collins Oyuu and psychophants to increase the retirement age from 60 to 65, which they proposed during last year’s Malindi meeting.

A section of members walked out of a Special Delegates Conference (SDC) at the Kasarani Stadium Indoor Arena.

KNUT Secretary-General Collins Oyuu has however insisted that the union will implement the resolution, which was among the 15 that had been proposed by the National Executive Council (NEC) in their past meetings.

The irritated delegates declined to listen to him and shouted him down during his speech. They shouted ‘go home” go home’ “go home’ and finally walked out protesting.

Oyuu will be age 60 years in three months’ time and teachers feel that he and his allies are forcing this amendment so that they can overstay in office to benefit from deals and misappropriation of teachers’ hard-earned cash.

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Most teachers are also frustrated with Oyuu for signing a non-monetary Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) and allowing the controversial Teacher Professional Development (TPD) to be launched.

The proposal to change retirement age was under resolution number 11 of allowing NEC to conduct minimal constitutional amendments.

The last review was done on December 2015, seven years down the line. Prior to that, there was a review in 2010 and 2013 even as the Constitution demands that it is reviewed after every five years to capture emerging issues and to expunge those articles that are obsolete.

Sixty is the same age the Teachers Service Commission has set for the retirement of its employees.

“We had come to the special delegates conference, everything went well until the proposal to increase the retirement age from 60 to 65 came, which we have refused. This is because it has been imposed on us and that is why we have walked out in anger,” said a female delegate who requested anonymity.

“When you have retired, you cease to be a teacher, so if you extend your term of service, whom are u representing? It means you will be going to lead teachers when you are not a teacher and this means TSC will not recognize you,” added another delegate.

“The procedure of a meeting is when you want to oppose something, you bring in a statement and there must be someone to second it. But nobody came to the microphone to second it.” Said Oyuu.

Stanley Mutai, who is also very closely related with Oyuu and is the current Knut first vice national chairman is also set to retire this year.

A section of Kenya National Union of Teachers delegates have protested against the resolution to increase the retirement age from 60 to 65.A section of members walked out of a special conference at the Kasarani Stadium Indoor Arena yesterday.

But Secretary-General Collins Oyuu insisted the union will implement the resolution, which was among the 15 that had been suggested by the National Executive Council in their past meetings.

The proposal was under resolution number 11 of allowing NEC to conduct minimal constitutional amendments. The last review was done on December 2015, seven years down the line. Prior to that, there was a review in 2010 and 2013 even as the Constitution demands that it is reviewed after every five years to capture emerging issues and to expunge those articles that are obsolete.

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“We had come to the special delegates conference, everything went well until the proposal to increase the retirement age from 60 to 65 came, which we have refused. This is because it has been imposed on us and that is why we have walked out in anger,” said a female delegate who requested anonymity.Another delegate said:

“When you have retired, you cease to be a teacher, so if you extend your term of service, whom are u representing? It means you will be going to lead teachers when you are not a teacher and this means TSC will not recognise you,” added another female delegate.

Oyuu, however, said: “The procedure of a meeting is when you want to oppose something, you bring in a statement and there must be someone to second it. But nobody came to the microphone to second it.”

The Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) has proposed plans to raise the retirement age for officials from the current 60 to 65, proposals that have brewed disagreements among the officials.

These proposals were revealed during an induction meeting held at Malindi in early December. The proposals have however been opposed by a section of KNUT members who felt that the move will bar them from holding top positions in the union.

The scheme is already facing opposition from a section of officials, who see it as a plan to stop them from rising to higher positions.

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Oyuu will be 58 in May next year, as will National Chairman Patrick Karinga. Second National Woman Representative Mercy Muthoni Ndung’u is 58, while First National Vice-Chairman Stanley Mutai should retire next year as he will hit 60.

Another proposed change is to anchor in law the National Steering Committee, which has been loosely operating for decades. It comprises three top national officials and the woman representative.

Barring officials from holding parliamentary seats is seen as a means to cure the protracted battle that dogged former secretary-general Wilson Sossion, who was nominated to the National Assembly by the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM). Eventually he was struck off the roll of teachers by the TSC. Sossion, who says he still a Knut member, has written to Oyuu in protest at the proposed changes.

“Please refrain using unorthodox means to mutilate Knut constitution. Amending the Knut constitution using the NEC and NAC shall be unconstitutional and attract [a lawsuit]. Extension of retirement age is not only selfish but dangerous!” Sossion wrote.

He argued that officials of the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers—Emuhaya MP Omboko Milemba (national chairman), Bomet Central MP Ronald Tonui (assistant national treasurer) and Bungoma Woman Representative Catherine Wambilianga (national woman representative) were not targeted for victimisation by TSC despite being national union officials.