Offices of the Kenya National Union of Teachers Kericho branch have been closed for non-payment of rent arrears.
The landlord, Kipsisgis Teachers Cycle Advance Company Ltd, is demanding Sh500,000 rent arrears from branch officials.
Besides the rents arrears, office clerks, secretaries and office messengers had gone without salaries for the last one and half years.
Branch officials on Sunday blamed the woes facing the branch office on Knut boss Wilson Sossion.
Stanely Mutai (secretary) David Rono (chairman), and treasurer George Mugun alleged that all branches in Kenya were victims of Sossion's "personal differences" with Teachers Service Commission (TSC).
The three said Sossion should step aside and let teachers pick another secretary general during this year's national election.
They pleaded with Orange Democratic Movement leader Raila Odinga to ignore Sossion and let teachers elect another boss.
The trio also appealed to Cotu boss Francis Atwoli to follow suit and not support Sossion.
“For the revival of the dying giant union, Sossion has no business defending his seat in coming election. He is to blame for the exodus of more than 160,000 members. To date, the number stands at 23,000 out of the known 185,000 members," Mugun said.
Mutai said Sossion had been struck off the list of teachers by TSC and his candidature in the coming elections does not hold water since he is no longer a teacher.
The branch officials alleged Sossion was trying to use Raila and Atwoli to fight any Knut member who attempted to question him.
“For years it has been evident that Sossion had a hard stance with TSC and the government leading to the mass exodus of teachers from the giant union in the recent past,” Mutai said.
Mutai said the Kericho branch office, just like several others in Kenya, was closed over rent arrears.
He urged Knut members who retained seats in the recent branch elections to ensure Sossion was not re-elected.
“Sossion is the problem and not some Knut branch officials he has waged war on. Let him be advised to go to the TSC and iron out personal differences he holds with the commission,” Rono said.
Mutai, Rono and Mugun also told Knut assistant secretary general Clement Gicharu that he will be sent home by teachers for supporting Sossion.
"While we would wish TSC to serve teachers according to the Collective Bargain Agreement (CBA), Gicharu support for Sossion and accusation of TSC was misguided,” Mugun said.
