Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers Secretary General Akello Misori (centre) and other Kuppet officials address the media in Nairobi on September 20, 2024.
The Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) will hold its Annual Delegates Conference (ADC) on Friday amid leadership woes and financial strain.
The conference that will be held in Vihiga County comes in the aftermath of controversies such as the removal of the vice treasurer Ronal Tonui and financial challenges caused by non-remittance of union dues for three months.
The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) declined to deduct and remit the contributions after Kuppet called a teachers’ strike in August. The situation starved the union of cash and affected its operations nationally. However, the funds were deducted and remitted last month.
The ADC follows chaotic 2023 conference in Nairobi where attempts to amend the constitution, including a contentious proposal to raise the retirement age for union officials from 60 to 65 years, sparked uproar among delegates. The secretary-general Akello Misori has urged members to maintain decorum, warning against a repeat of past disruptions.
Financial constraints have also led to the cancellation of the usual National Advisory Council meeting and a pre-conference dinner.
The ADC will address pressing issues, including a memorandum for negotiations for the next collective bargaining agreement (CBA) and unresolved matters from the 2021 - 2025 CBA.
Junior school teachers have been invited as observers, signaling efforts to broaden engagement. However, internal disputes, including court battles over disciplinary actions against branch officials, remain a significant hurdle.
“The union appeals to all members to observe decorum and avoid incendiary rhetoric and violent disruptions witnessed at the last ADC,” Mr Misori stated in a communication to officials dated December 16, 2024.
He further stated “While we have liaised with local administration and security agencies to ensure safety at the meeting, delegates hold the key to success of the meeting”
“This meeting (ADC) comes at a critical juncture for KUPPET, the teaching fraternity and the labour movement…These challenges will require bold leadership, unity of purpose and candour to overcome,” Mr Misori noted.
Mr Misori reminded the members that the union just recently embarked on a new CBA process against the backdrop of unfulfilled issues in the 2021-2025 CBA. He further revealed that top officials of a junior school teachers lobby have been invited to the meeting as observers.
Apart from Mr Tonui, some branch officials from Samburu, Laikipia ,Isiolo and Tana River have also been cited for disciplinary action by the national office.
