From: Joseph Mwangi

A new teachers’ trade union known as Kenya Union of Special Needs Education Teachers was last week registered (registration certificate No.160). In a letter dated 5th October 2011 (Ref.MLHRD/TU/160/1/9) addressed to James Torome (Secretary General) and signed by Registrar of Trade Unions W.K Langat reads “I refer to your application for registration of a trade union under the Labour Relations Act. I am pleased to inform you that I have today registered Kenya Union of Special Needs Education Teachers as Trade Union under the Labour Relations act”.

The union’s current interim officials include James Torome (Secretary General), Lusile Machago (Deputy Secretary General), Gabriel Koinare (Chairman), Amos Karanja (Vice-chairman), Joyce Dumo (treasurer), Stephen Kivui (Vice Treasurer), Josephene Ombari (women representative), Kennedy Kadegu (men representative), Cyprian Njagi (trustee) and Monica Gathu Trustee).

The union intends to recruit 80,000 teachers who have undergone special training at the Kenya Institute of Special Education. The union will be temporarily run from Narok County but will soon relocate to Nairobi. The interim officials are working on voluntary basis.

It now becomes the third teachers union after KNUT and KUPPET. What now remains to be seen is how KNUT and KUPPET leadership will react to the registration of the new Union.