Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) has been accused of betrayal by a section of Nyamira teachers after calling off a five week strike over pay rise without convening a National Delegates Conference (NDC) to seek a solution.
Knut suspended its strike on Saturday following Justice Nelson Abuodho’s ruling that teachers suspend their strike for 90 days.
However, Masaba North Deputy Secretary Mr James Oteki was forced to cut short his speech angry teachers at Mochenwa on Monday during a funeral of one of the members, accusing the union of ‘flexibility’.
“We want to issue a warning to Knut that it is a total failure. They should not have been flexible to the ruling because Teachers Service Commission had also failed to respect a court ruling. It is really sad that our leaders are gullible and as members, we now doubt their integrity,” said Mr James Miyienda.
His sentiments were echoed by aspiring branch Chairman Mr Wilson Ogari who accused Knut of playing side shows and failing to consult widely before calling off the strike.
“We went to strike hoping that our plea would be heard. But we are shocked that the union could go down easily without gaining a think. They should have even consulted NDC before going to the public,” he said.
But Oteki termed the move ‘legal’ and said teachers had room to hold government accountable if the 90 day ultimatum does not yield a concrete solution.
“We have not lost the war because the government has to work with us. If they fail to comply we will still go to the streets in three months time,” Oteki said.