More than 900 Embu teachers have allegedly been coerced by the Teachers Service Commission to leave their union, a representative has said.
Kenya National Union of Teachers’ branch executive secretary Josphat Kathumi said they had over 1,200 members in June last year but are now left with only 300.
He said TSC had intimidated the others and refused to remit their monthly contributions.
Kathumi spoke during the union’s elections at the Talent Academy in Embu. He said TSC’s manoeuvres had meant he and the other staffers have not received their salaries for over nine months.
During the elections in which all the outgoing officials were re-elected unopposed, teachers declared that they will vote against the BBI if the TSC is allowed to kill Knut.
“We know it is the government that is using the TSC to kill the union and this is something we shall not accept. We will fight to ensure the welfare of all the teachers are looked into,” he said.
The unionist asked President Uhuru Kenyatta to ensure that teachers do not suffer in the hands of the TSC.
The Knut executive secretary who was accompanied by national council member Julius Taitumi declared that he will vie for the Manyatta parliamentary seat in the next election.
He said he will fight for the welfare of the teachers and all the other residents if he is elected as MP. John Muchiri is the current MP but will be vying for the Embu gubernatorial seat.
Teachers promised to support and vote for him, asking other colleagues who have political aspirations to go ahead and vie.