Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) has thrown its weight behind President William Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza government.
The union has recounted the adversities it faced in the previous Jubilee government over its affiliation with the opposition.
The officials you see here went for over two years without a salary. That is a mistake we can’t make again. We will support the government of the day
Collins Oyu
Secretary General Collins Oyu recounted how officials went for years without salary, among other forms of intimidation.
“The officials you see here went for over two years without a salary. That is a mistake we can’t make again. We will support the government of the day,” said Oyu .
Knut found itself in a nasty tussle with government over agitation of the implementation of Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) agreed over a decade ago.
The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) reacted by freezing members’ contribution to the union in a tussle that hit the peak.
The union lost membership, as members escaped intimidation and loss of pacs which came with promotions.
On Saturday, Knut officials drawn from Nyanza gathered at Information Communication Technology and Digital Economy Cabinet Secretary Eliud Owalo’s native home in Rarieda to deliberate on how they can become proponents of the government development agenda.
Owalo said given their position in the society, teachers will play a crucial role is changing the community mindset when working with the government.
What is given to counties is peanuts. We need to align ourselves with the government of the day to ensure in wider planning of the sharing the national cake we are part of the plan
Eliud Owalo
“Please help us pass the government development agenda to the people of Nyanza,” pleaded Owalo.
He added: “We want a conducive environment that will see development projects realised in the region.”
“We cannot continue demonstrating and perpetuating the anti government agenda.”
Owalo said elections were over and the region must not be lied to that county governments have enough resources to self sustain.
“What is given to counties is peanuts. We need to align ourselves with the government of the day to ensure in wider planning of the sharing the national cake we are part of the plan,” he said.
Owalo later met farmers drawn from sugar, cotton and fish sectors on Sunday as he seeks to find a convergent point of value addition on farm products from the region.