Nominated MP Wilson Sossion.[photo/Nation]
The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) on Tuesday defended its move to dismiss individuals, who were either elected or nominated to political posts during last year’s elections.
In a statement, TSC communications head Kihumba Kamotho, said it does not seek to interfere with teachers’ trade unions leadership, adding that the move was not politically motivated.
“Teachers who have been released to serve as union official should follow the law and resign once they join politics,” the statement read in part. TSC terminated the services of Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) secretary general Wilson Sossion as a public school teacher, after he joined politics through nomination by ODM as a Member of Parliament.
Others whose services were terminated are Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) chairman Omboko Milemba, who is the Emuhaya MP, and his Bomet Central counterpart Ronald Tonui, who was Kuppet assistant treasurer.
“Regulation 187 (1) of the Code of Regulations for Teachers provides that a teacher under the employment of the commission who intends to contest for political office shall resign or retire from service,” said TSC.
TSC added that there was no record to show that Milemba resigned as a teacher in April as he has alleged, to contest for a parliamentary seat. Meanwhile, Coast region union officials have backed the call for Milemba and Sossion to quit their positions as per the law despite the duo’s claims that TSC fears they will criticise the government when in Parliament.
“When you are elected by a union, you are seconded by your employer, therefore, we cannot differentiate whether he (Sossion) speaks for us or for his party,” said Knut regional treasurer David Mulei.