- Wilson Sossion has called on the TSC to develop a clear policy rewarding teachers with higher academic and professional qualifications.
- Sossion has appeared before the Parliamentary Education Committee for vetting as a nominee TSC commissioner alongside Antonina Lentoijoini.
- Sossion has demanded greater transparency in salary deductions, saying the TSC should obtain teachers’ written approval before making any deduction.
Former Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Secretary-General Wilson Sossion has called on the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to develop a clear policy on how teachers with higher academic and professional qualifications should be rewarded.
Sossion made the remarks on Thursday, August 20, 2026, while appearing before the Parliamentary Education Committee for vetting, as he defended his suitability to serve as a TSC commissioner. He is undergoing parliamentary vetting alongside Antonina Lentoijoini, with the two nominees set to be appointed as TSC commissioners if approved.
During the vetting, Sossion said teachers who invest in advancing their education should have a clearly defined framework through which their additional qualifications can translate into career progression, professional recognition and better remuneration. He warned that the absence of such a policy could discourage teachers from pursuing higher qualifications, particularly where additional academic credentials fail to result in meaningful changes to career progression or pay.
Sossion also called for greater transparency in deductions made from teachers’ salaries, saying the TSC should obtain written approval from a teacher before effecting any deduction on their payslip. He said teachers should not be subjected to deductions they did not authorise, calling for stronger safeguards to ensure every deduction is properly explained, documented and approved by the affected teacher. The remarks come amid concerns among some teachers over deductions appearing on their payslips that they say they did not sanction.
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Sossion said teachers should be able to know why a deduction is being made, who has requested it and whether they have formally consented to it.
His remarks also come amid growing debate over the expansion of university education and proposals to convert teacher training colleges into university colleges. Sossion said the expansion of higher education should be accompanied by policies that give teachers a meaningful incentive to pursue further studies, arguing that acquiring higher qualifications should not simply result in additional certificates without a corresponding change in professional status, responsibilities or opportunities for advancement.
He said a clear TSC framework would help teachers understand the professional and financial benefits of pursuing additional qualifications while encouraging continuous professional development.
By John Kinyua
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