Knut Secretary General Wilson Sossion has weighed in the debate on whether CS Magoha was right to insult a TSC County official at Langas Primary School in Uasin Gishu county.
Sossion has supported CS Magoha for tackling his junior officer following many Covid-19 deaths in schools.
“Covid has killed many teachers so Prof. Magoha is right to be strict on his officers,” Sossion said.
However his rival union the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) has demanded an apology from Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha over his treatment of the education official.
Kuppet wants the CS to apologise over what they termed as ‘disrespect’ to education officers.
Uasin Gishu Kuppet secretary Elijah Maiyo cited an incident in Uasin Gishu county last Friday where the CS dressed down the local County Director of Education (CDE) Mbaga Gitonga in front of teachers at Langas Primary School.
Maiyo argued that the CS had no right whatsoever to insult the senior education director.
“We are saddened that the CS, a professor, could insult his fellow civil servant. The conduct of the CS was not expected of him and he should apologise to all the teachers. He should have questioned why the school was in such a state rather than rush to insult an old man,” said Maiyo.
Maiyo further stated that should Magoha fail to apologise, teachers would file a complaint to the human rights department for defying the rights of employees and they would also avoid accompanying him on educational tours in the county.
“We feel that the CS offended all teachers and if he fails to apologise then we will have no option but to report him to the human rights department or even abscond his future meetings in our county,” said Maiyo.
Over the weekend, Prof Magoha’s remarks elicited backlash from a section of Kenyans online, many faulting him over how he addressed the senior official.
The CS had toured the region to inspect the progress of delivery of desks and preparedness of schools in accommodating learners while observing the Ministry of Health protocols.
He had made a stop at Langas Primary where he was displeased by the evident lack of hygiene.
Sossion, you are a real turncoat indeed. Knut’s fortunes have been dwindling due to myopic and unreasonable policies that led to the demise of the union. How can you side with harassment for goodness sake??? Are you trying to appease the government to earn favours? You are the main proponent of the lopsided CBA which overpaid guys with zero qualifications except for miserable PTE certificates just because they ”are administrators”, a position they survive in by delegating everything except their wives and salaries. They paid you back by crippling the union. You have zero influence over teachers who would rather stay ununionized. History will judge you harshly for killing Knut and crafting a skewed CBA which has driven the majority of teachers into the indignity of poverty. Do the teaching fraternity a favour by shutting up your vocal orifice instead of backing blatant harassment of a senior citizen in an issue he played no part in creating. If you are a real teacher you should know the correct procedure in handling such issues. As a teacher and unionist, you are a phenomenal failure and the earlier you exit the educational scene the better for this nation.