More than 630 teachers have cancelled their membership with the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) citing malpractice and fraud.
The teachers raised several other issues with the union such as irregularities in the recent elections which they claim was marred by illegalities.
The disgruntled teachers formed a new union dubbed the Kenya Union of Teachers and Trainers (KUTT), led by one of the teachers, Andrew Shiloko, who appealed to the members to leave KUPPET and join the new union.
"It was evident that the elections were rigged and we received reports of bribery. As longtime members of the union we are in pain because KUPPET is receiving our money and we are not getting the services we require," said Shiloko.
The teachers detailed that they would write to the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) and Public Service Commission (PSC) to cease their monthly contributions to KUPPET.
The union has over 110,000 teachers who are on the TSC payroll. The news comes as KUPPET has been at loggerheads with its counterpart, the Kenya National Union of Teachers, over membership of teachers.
KNUT's membership has reduced to 28,000 members from 136,000 due to wrangles with TSC over reduced pay cuts which has led to mass exits of members, leading to the union shutting its branches across the country.
Further, KUPPET had disputed claims over poaching teachers from the wounded KNUT. Past reports had indicated that 200,000 teachers had exited KNUT and jumped ship to KUPPET due to the union's wrangles.
The union's national chairman Omboko Milemba insisted that the relevant authorities ought to investigate the teachers who are said to have KNUT's membership.
"We want the government to locate the missing teachers from KNUT. We cannot and won't accept them because if we do, we will be changing KUPPET to KNUT," he stated.
