Tensions escalated in Yatta after a section of teachers staged a demonstration demanding the dissolution of the Kenya National Union of Teachers Yatta Branch office and the immediate conduct of fresh elections.
The teachers, who gathered outside the branch offices, accused the branch’s Executive Secretary, Kasimba Ngui, of holding office unlawfully and benefiting from union funds despite allegedly no longer being eligible for membership under the union’s constitution.
At the center of the dispute is the interpretation of the union’s membership requirements. According to protesting members, the KNUT constitution restricts membership to teachers actively engaged in public service. They argue that continued leadership of the branch must align strictly with these provisions.
The demonstrators claim that Mr. Ngui resigned from his teaching position in 2017 to contest the Yatta parliamentary seat and, therefore, ceased to be a teacher and an eligible union member. They further allege that he has not relinquished his union position since stepping away from active teaching service.
The protesting teachers also raised concerns over what they termed as unlawful benefit from union dues. They argued that union funds are deducted from serving teachers and are legally protected under the Labour Relations and Trade Unions laws to serve eligible members.
According to their statement, Mr. Ngui’s continued stay in office amounts to misappropriation of union resources and abuse of office. They are calling on the national leadership of KNUT to intervene, dissolve the Yatta branch office, and oversee fresh elections to restore accountability and compliance with the union’s constitution.
The group has formally petitioned the national office of the Kenya National Union of Teachers to close the Yatta branch office temporarily and institute investigations into the allegations. They insist that failure to address the matter could erode trust among union members and undermine the integrity of the branch leadership.
Efforts to reach Mr. Ngui for comment were unsuccessful by the time of publication.
