The leadership wrangles inside the Kenya National Union of Teachers have intensified after Secretary General Collins Oyuu firmly dismissed former union boss Wilson Sossion from contesting in the upcoming elections.
A fresh storm is brewing within KNUT, barely weeks to the union’s crucial Special Delegates Conference set for April 3.
Oyuu has drawn a hard line, insisting that the union’s constitution and the Labour Relations Act 2022 will strictly guide who qualifies to run. Without naming names directly at first, his remarks left little doubt about his target.
The KNUT boss questioned Sossion’s eligibility, arguing that one must first be a registered member of the union to contest — a condition he claims the former secretary general does not currently meet.
Sossion, who resigned in 2021, has declared interest in reclaiming the powerful seat. His bid gained momentum after a Court of Appeal ruling faulted the Teachers Service Commission for unfairly terminating his employment in 2018.
However, TSC maintains that despite the ruling, Sossion remains de-registered as a teacher, a critical requirement for anyone seeking national office within KNUT.
With nominations scheduled for April 2 at the Tom Mboya Labour College in Kisumu, the contest is shaping up into a high-stakes legal and political showdown.
At the heart of it all is one key question: will Sossion clear the eligibility hurdle, or has Oyuu effectively locked him out?
