The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) were held elections on Saturday, June 26, at the Ruaraka Sports Club in Nairobi.
Following the elections, Collins Oyuu became the new KNUT secretary general and will be deputised by Hesbon Otieno. The duo was elected unopposed.
Oyuu became the seventh secretary general taking over from Wilson Sossion who quit on Friday, June 25.
“This is a day teachers have really looked out for, to have a total change in the leadership of this great union, especially at the top and I want to say specifically in the position of secretary-general,” Oyoo stated.
Other leaders who were elected unopposed are; Patrick Kariga (national chairman), James Ndiku (national treasurer) and Hussein Ali Abdi (deputy national treasurer). Stanley Mutai beat Dan Aloo as the first vice-chairman.
A total of 1,878 delegates from eight regions across the Country voted in person.
Oyuu disclosed that the union was crippled financially, adding that a number of branch offices had been closed.
"Branch secretaries across the 110 offices have not been earning salaries for close to two years,” he stated.
The newly elected secretary general vowed to work with both the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) and the government.
While exiting the union, Sossion stated that he would remain loyal to the union and would always be available to advise and support the leadership of the union.
"As I exit, I hope the government will support teachers. I am making this appeal. I trust that the government will find it necessary to allow the union money to flow to the teachers," he added.
