- The High Court has suspended the vetting and approval of TSC nominees Wilson Sossion and Antonina Lentoijoni pending a constitutional petition against their appointment.
- The conservatory orders followed an urgent application by petitioner Kelvin Wafula against the State Law Office and TSC, and will remain in force for 21 days, backed by a penal notice warning of contempt for non-compliance.
The High Court in Kerugoya has suspended the vetting and approval of two of President William Ruto’s nominees to the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), dealing a blow to the recent appointments.
In conservatory orders issued by Justice Joyce Gandani, the court barred the Commission, its committees, officers and agents from taking any further steps to consider, vet or approve the nominations of former Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Secretary General Wilson Sossion and Antonina Lendoijoni, pending the hearing of a constitutional petition contesting their appointment.
“A Conservatory order is hereby issued restraining the 2nd respondent, whether by itself, its Committees, officers, servants or agents, from considering, vetting or approving the nomination of the 5th and 6th respondents as Commissioners of the Teachers Service Commission pursuant to Notification of Presidential Action No XI of 2026 pending the hearing and determination of this application,” the court order states.
The suspension was granted after petitioner Kelvin Wafula moved to court through an urgent application against the State Law Office, the TSC and other respondents, challenging the legality of the nomination process. Justice Gandani certified the application as urgent before issuing a 21-day conservatory order stopping the vetting process.
Sossion and Lendoijoni are among four nominees recently referred by National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula to the relevant departmental committees for parliamentary vetting.
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Sossion was nominated to serve as a Member of the Teachers Service Commission, where his extensive experience in education leadership and teachers’ welfare is expected to strengthen the Commission’s mandate. Lendoijoni was also nominated as a Member of the TSC.
The other nominees are Flora Mutua, who was nominated as a Member of the Public Service Commission (PSC), and Dr. Duncan Ojwang Oburu, who was nominated as Chairperson of the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA).
The TSC nominations were referred to the Departmental Committee on Education, while the PSC and IPOA nominations were forwarded to their respective departmental committees for vetting. The committees are expected to conduct public approval hearings and table their reports before the National Assembly by August 18, 2026.
However, the High Court orders temporarily halt the parliamentary vetting and approval process for the two TSC nominees pending the determination of the application before the court.
The court further ordered that the matter be heard inter partes on August 18, 2026, when all parties are expected to appear before the court to argue the application in full.
The conservatory orders will remain in effect for 21 days, during which the Commission is barred from proceeding with any vetting or approval process involving the two nominees.
The court also issued a penal notice cautioning that any individual who defies the orders risks being cited for contempt of court.
“Take notice that any disobedience or non-observance of the order of the court served herewith will result in penal consequences to you and any other person(s) disobeying and not observing the same,” Justice Gandani warned.
By Masaki Enock
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