• Regional Knut officials defend the teachers against accusations of misconduct by TSC
•Teachers accused of disrupting competency-based curriculum training last month
Image: FILE
Knut and Kuppet officials have condemned the TSC following the interdiction of at least 41 head teachers in Kisii county.
The Teachers Service Commission accuses the teachers of gross misconduct but the union officials say its actions are unilateral and must be condemned.
Speaking to journalists, Knut branch officials Lucy Machuki (executive secretary Gucha) and Joseph Makabe (Gucha South) defended the teachers against accusations of misconduct. The officials said the teachers were interdicted without a fair hearing.
Machuki said some teachers received the show cause and interdiction letters at the same time due to slow speed of delivery.
The teachers received show cause letters on April 25 and were followed up with interdiction letters on May 3.
“We are not happy. This appears more of a witch-hunt and victimisation exercise by TSC. As a union, we saw all these teachers in the training and they never participated in the disruption of the sessions,” she said.
“We have spoken to our union boss Wilson Sossion who has advised that we go to court and we have done so. This is a war that is going to be vicious and bitter. We can’t just sit and watch our members being victimised and being bulldozed all over as toys,” said Machuki.
She said the union had already contacted a lawyer to look into the matter.
TSC in letters seen by the Star accuses the teachers of disrupting the competency- based curriculum training conducted over the holiday.
In one of the letters, a teacher at Etago is accused by the commission of “inciting teachers who were attending the training programme organised at Moticho Primary, Otende in Etago subcounty.”
In another case, a teacher recently deployed to one school in Nyamache is also claimed to have helped in disrupting the training programme at the same venue.
The teacher has been invited to respond in writing to the commission within 21 days from the date signed on the letter or risk getting sacked.
The teachers have been ordered to vacate their working stations until the matter is heard and determined by the commission. Many of the teachers interdicted were from Sameta and Gucha in Bobasi and Etago in South Mugirango subcounties.
“Before the Commission proceeds to consider your case, vacate office and continue to be away,” reads the letter signed by Kisii county TSC boss Nimrod Kimanthi.
Kimanthi was said to be away in Homa Bay for official duties and did not respond to calls and text messages from the Star.
Kuppet Kisii county branch boss Albert Omari condemned the move saying they will team up with their Knut counterparts in the region to vigorously fight off the interdictions.
Edited by Otieno Owino