Efforts of registering another teachers’ trade union have hit a brick wall after the Registrar of Trade Unions declined to register the Kenya National Union of Classroom Teachers (KNUCT) on the basis that there already exists registered trade unions representing the rights and interests of teachers in the said category. A letter signed by the Registrar of Trade Unions, Mrs Elizabeth Gicheha dated November 10, 2021 sent to KNUCT through Ondieki and Ondieki Advocates, who applied for a certificate on September 23,2021, indicated that the intention of the law is that a proposed trade union would engage on recruitment for the sectors where no other trade union exists.

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In 2020, the National Education Union (NEU) received the same blow. A letter signed by Mrs Gicheha dated August 26, 2020 addressed to NEU through Salim Omar and Company Advocates, who made a formal application for a certificate on August 24, 2020, reads in part, “I wish to inform you that contrary to the assertion by your client, there already exists registered trade Unions representing the rights and interests of the envisioned scope of representation.” She stated in the letter that Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) under its registered constitution represents every registered, certified, licensed or authorized teachers of all grade and qualification in Kenya while Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) under its registered constitution represents teachers/trainers in secondary and tertiary institutions of good conduct and reputation, certified, licensed or authorised to teach.

She also noted that Kenya Union of Special Needs Education Teachers (KUSNET) under its registered constitution represents every trained and undergoing training teacher registered by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) and other ministries and is employed in the field of Special Needs Education and Early Childhood Education while  Kenya Union of Pre-Primary Education Teachers (KUNOPPET) under its registered constitution represents all teachers in Early Childhood Education of good conduct and reputation, certified, licensed or authorized to teach.

The Registrar further explained that Kenya Union of Private Schools Teachers (KNUPST) under its registered constitution represents every trained teacher and tutor engaged to teach in private schools and private educational institutions i.e. private kindergartens, nurseries, preprimary, primary and secondary schools whose professional conduct of charge can be sustained.

Kenya Union of Technical and Vocational Education Trainers (KUTVET) drew its membership from TVET institutions like National Polytechnics, Technical Training Institutions (TTIs) Technical and Vocational Centres (TVCs) and Teacher Colleges. Had NEU’s registration been accepted, the union would have recruited its members from preprimary, primary, secondary and tertiary levels as well as those in private institutions. Such recruitment would have been a major breakaway from tradition where unions targeted membership from only one category of teachers.

Ms. Martha Omollo, who is the spokesperson of Kenya National Teachers Pressure Group (KNTPG), confirmed that she was among those proposing and pushing for the registration of NEU, arguing that teachers want a union they can associate with. “Together with other teachers, we were transferred for speaking against the Teacher Professional Development (TPD), for referring to the collapse of unions since they no longer speak for the Kenyan teacher and speaking up against the TSC Minet health insurance company covering teachers,” said Ms. Omollo. She added that teachers want a new union which they can associate with since they currently feel strangled in unions compromised by TSC.

“How does one explain why Knut withdrew or rather as the SG claim they only set aside the cases that were shielding teachers against punitive policies? If the unions can’t speak for us, we’ll speak for ourselves,” she said. Sources also revealed that Mr Nelson Kirui, who was among those transferred, received his transfer letter while outside a hospital theatre where his wife was undergoing surgery. He was among those proposing and calling for the registration of KNUCT.

In November this year, many teachers who were members and leaders of KNTPG were transferred to far-flung work stations in what TSC termed as a normal transfer, though many saw it as a move perceived to be a crackdown on those associated with the activities of the group.

Just a few hours after the release of the National education union’s (NEU) constitution, a section of the fronters have revealed their secret association with former KNUT secretary general Wilson Sossion. One fronter, who sought anonymity, hinted that Sossion is the sponsor and ultimate owner of the new union.

Sossion has However publicly distanced himself from NEU, maintaining that he is nolonger interested in union and teacher’s politics since he quit Knut.

“Teachers are rebelling. Splinters are formed to fill vacuums. I left Knut and shouldn’t be associated with activities within the teaching service,” he said.

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The National Education Union comes after several fruitless struggles, which have incited very many once loyal members to quit the former giant teachers’ union, KNUT. It also follows a pre-influenced leadership transformation in KNUT and the signing of a controversial cashless collective bargaining agreement, CBA with the Teachers Service Commission TSC.

The splinter group, NEU, guided by the motto of  “Service, Justice and Unity”, plans to recruit

teachers from pre-primary, primary, secondary and tertiary levels, as well as those in private

institutions.

KNUT for instance draws most of its members from primary school teachers, whereas KUPPET draws most of its members from secondary schools, with some from teacher training colleges.  The Kenya Union of Special Needs Education Teachers (Kusnet) targets teachers working in special schools and teachers with special conditions from any learning level. KUPPET, KNUT and KUSNET have all signed recognition agreements with TSC.

The formation of NEU is another scheme to scramble for millions of shillings remitted by teachers monthly. The registration process for NEU has reached its advanced stages. It is not yet clear if TSC will sign a recognition agreement with the new unions, but they will seek international support from other teachers’ unions across the world.

NEU has pledged to treat salary increment for all teachers and reduction of union dues from 1.8 per cent to one per cent of a teachers’ salary as the main issues. It has also promised that all officials from the branches to the national level will be elected by all members and not through a delegates’ system.

The union also is determined to bridge the huge salary disparities between classroom teachers and the school administrators.

The formation of a new teachers’ union has thrown the entire leadership of giant teacher unions, KNUT and KUPPET into panic mode. The national education Union (NEU), is determined to fish members from all learning levels, from pre-primary schools to universities and other tertiary institutions.

A section of Officials from the existing teacher unions has termed NEU as a splinter union whose role is to split the larger unions, steal their members with impossible promises, and kill their bargaining powers with TSC and the government.

The National Education Union comes after several fruitless struggles, which have incited very many once loyal members to quit the former giant teachers’ union, KNUT. It also follows a pre-influenced leadership transformation in KNUT and the signing of a controversial cashless collective bargaining agreement, CBA with the Teachers Service Commission TSC.

NEU will break the traditional routine of unions targeting membership from only a category of teachers.

KNUT for instance draws most of its members from primary school teachers, whereas KUPPET draws most of its members from secondary schools, with some from teacher training colleges.  The Kenya Union of Special Needs Education Teachers (Kusnet) targets teachers working in special schools and teachers with special conditions from any learning level. KUPPET, KNUT and KUSNET have all signed recognition agreements with TSC.

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Other recently formed unions include the Kenya Union of Pre-primary Education Teachers Kunoppet, which draws its membership from pre-primary teachers, and the Kenya Union of Technical and Vocational Education Trainers Kutvet, whose formation saw technical institutes’ teachers leave Kuppet in 2018.

Kuppet secretary-general Akello Misori warned the proponents of Neu of stiff competition, sentiments which were echoed by KNUT secretary general Collins Oyuu in a separate podium.