KNUT Branches: The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) has started closing down some of its branches. The union can no longer afford to pay rent, run operations or even hold annual union conferences. It has no cash.
The union, which used to receive at least Sh. 144 million in union dues monthly, received Sh. 25 million in October. Its membership has shrunk to 34,312 from 187,471 between July 2019 and October 2020.
According to Secretary General Wilson Sossion, KNUT is unable to hold branch elections and may not hold the annual delegates conference in December as is the tradition because they cannot afford it. “The annual budget for the ADC is approximately Sh. 200 million, which the union saves over time. What can we do with Sh 25 million? It cannot even meet our payroll budget,” he told a local daily.
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KNUT’s monthly earnings have been decreasing as teachers run from the union in their thousands. In January, the union received Sh. 75 million, in February Sh. 67 million, in March Sh. 66 million, in April Sh. 64 million, in May Sh. 62 million and in June Sh. 59 million. In July, the union received Sh. 54 million, in August Sh. 34 million and in September Sh. 32 million.
KNUT has blamed the digital platform that was introduced by the Teachers Service Commission to enable teachers quit unions at will for its misfortunes. The platform allows teachers to join or leave a union.
However, in some quarters, the combative Sossion who also doubles up as a politician has been blamed for ruining the once giant union. Sossion, who heads the teachers’ organization, is not a registered teacher in Kenya. KNUT Branches.
