Universities Academic and Staff Union (Uasu), the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) and the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) plan to merge to form one giant union by 2015. Uasu chairman Sammy Kubasu has said it was only by forming such a giant body that the welfare of education and the challenges facing the sector could be addressed. “We have common grounds in education in that kindergarten, primary, secondary and university education is interrelated. Therefore we need to have one body to champion the cause," he said.
Kubasu said the body will not, however, affect the affiliates in the organisation. He pointed out that a committee has already been tasked to set up the structures so that the giant union is in place by next year. He spoke during the Uasu annual delegates’ conference held in Nakuru. Knut secretary general Wilson Sossion and his Pusetu counterpart, Charles Mukhwaya, were in attendance. The delegates endorsed all the resolutions raised at the forum. Sossion regretted that not enough money is set aside for education and said in future, more funds should be allocated to the sector. “With such a body in place, the quality of education will improve as well as the welfare of the teaching fraternity. The creation of many unions cause divisions, weakening their bargain power,” he added.