- Wilson Sossion is set for a major education-sector comeback after MPs approved his appointment to TSC.
- Antonina Lentoijoni also received the House’s approval after the Education Committee backed both nominees.
- Their vetting followed the lifting of court orders that had temporarily halted the parliamentary approval process.
Former Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Secretary-General Wilson Sossion is set to return to the centre of the education sector after Parliament approved his appointment as a member of the Teachers Service Commission (TSC).
The National Assembly also endorsed the appointment of Antonina Lentoijoni to the Commission, filling two vacancies on the TSC board.
The two nominees were approved during Tuesday’s sitting after the House adopted recommendations of the Education Committee, which had vetted them five days earlier.
Their appointments followed President William Ruto’s nomination of the two to the Commission amid vacancies at the constitutional body. Parliament approved the two on Tuesday, August 25, following their vetting on Thursday, August 20.
The parliamentary approval process had, however, been temporarily held up by a court case challenging the nominations.
On July 30, the High Court in Kerugoya issued conservatory orders restraining Parliament from proceeding with the vetting and approval of Sossion and Lentoijoni pending consideration of a constitutional petition challenging the appointments.
“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 stated.
The orders were later lifted, clearing the way for the Education Committee to proceed with the approval hearings on August 20.
During the exercise, Sossion, a former nominated MP, spoke about the need to safeguard teachers’ interests while ensuring the Commission effectively carries out its constitutional responsibilities.
His appointment is particularly significant because of his previous leadership of KNUT, where he was involved in negotiations and advocacy on behalf of teachers.
During his vetting, Sossion argued that his years representing teachers would strengthen rather than undermine his contribution to TSC.
He pledged to promote cooperation between TSC and the Ministry of Education and address concerns affecting teachers, including promotions, welfare and professional recognition.
Lentoijoni brings TSC experience
Lentoijoni brings extensive experience from within the teaching service and TSC administration.
During her vetting, she told MPs she had accumulated 28 years of experience in the teaching service, including nine years as a classroom teacher and nearly 18 years at TSC. She currently serves as TSC Director of Staffing.
She faced questions from MPs on teacher stagnation, staffing shortages, teachers’ records and career progression.
Lentoijoni attributed the continuing teacher shortage partly to inadequate resources for recruitment and increased demand arising from the introduction of Junior Secondary School.
She also proposed strengthening mental health programmes for teachers by expanding support to the county level.
“She further noted that, if approved, she would champion the expansion of mental health programmes to the county level to ensure that all teachers receive the mental health assistance they need,” the National Assembly said following the vetting.
Focus shifts to teacher challenges
With Parliament’s approval, Sossion and Lentoijoni have cleared a crucial stage towards formally joining the Commission.
The approval comes as TSC continues to grapple with major issues affecting the teaching service, including recruitment, teacher shortages, promotions, remuneration, career progression, workload and deployment.
Sossion’s transition is particularly notable given his history on the opposite side of the negotiating table with TSC during his years at the helm of KNUT.
He served as KNUT Secretary-General between 2013 and 2021 and later served as a nominated MP representing workers’ interests.
Lentoijoni, meanwhile, moves towards the Commission from within its senior administration, bringing institutional experience in staffing and teacher management.
The Education Committee had adopted its report on the two nominees on August 25 before the matter proceeded to the full House for consideration.
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Their approval places the two educationists in a position to participate in decisions affecting Kenya’s teaching workforce as TSC navigates recruitment, staffing shortages, promotions and implementation of reforms in the education sector.
By Jonathan Mwinzi
Reach us at: editor@educationnews.co.ke
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