Just a day after the Kenya Union of Post Primary Teachers (KUPPET) called off the national strike that lasted two weeks, cracks have emerged within the union over what some officials describe as betrayal by their top leadership.
Teachers from counties under the broader regions of Central, Western, Rift Valley and Nyanza on Tuesday told the media during a press conference in Kisumu that KUPPET Secretary General Akello Misori did not follow the necessary procedures while calling off the strike.
They therefore demanded Misori's immediate resignation for taking the decision which the officials argued is not in their members' best intrests.
The teachers maintained that they have not called off the strike saying that the industrial action was still on despite the announcement made by Misori.
‘’We have not called off the strike, the strike is still on, give us the minutes that show us that we called off the strike,’’ paused Joseph Abicha, the KUPPET Kisii Branch Secretary General.
‘’We cannot be told that after calling off the strike we are going to meet and ratify, which one comes first?’’ Abicha questioned.
Abicha added that it is the organ’s National Governing Council that was supposed to meet and make the decision to suspend the strike.
The teachers also questioned Misori's failure to inform the National Governing Council about the agreement with the government before any announcements were made.
‘’Teachers are not like electrical switches where you can have them on the road then you wake up one day to tell them to stop doing whatever they are doing,’’ Sabala Inyeni,one of the officials from Vihiga charged.
The teachers apologized to the parents over the situation but maintained that they will still proceed on with their industrial action.
‘’To the parents I know it has been a hard time for you, but we cannot promise what next as we are still pressing on until all our demands are met,’’ Abicha urged.
Misori on Monday announced the suspension of the strike to give room for the government room to actualise issues that the state promised KUPPET officials it would address.
