- Wilson Sossion and Antonina Lentoijoniare are set to be sworn in as TSC commissioners at the Supreme Court following their appointment by President William Ruto for a six-year term.
- The appointments have followed parliamentary approval by the Departmental Committee on Education and a Gazette Notice dated August 31, 2026.
- Sossion’s appointment has marked a notable turnaround for the former KNUT Secretary-General, while Lentoijoni brings her experience as former TSC Director of Staffing to the commission.
By Kimwele Mutuku
Former Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Secretary-General Wilson Sossion and former TSC Director of Staffing Antonina Lentoijoni are set to be sworn in today, Thursday, September 10, 2026, as commissioners of the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), following their appointment by President William Ruto.
The two will take the oath of office at the Supreme Court of Kenya, marking Sossion’s return to the institution he spent years challenging over teachers’ welfare and labour rights, and bringing Lentoijoni’s extensive internal TSC experience to the commission’s leadership. They were appointed for a six-year term after completing the constitutional process that included presidential nomination, parliamentary scrutiny and approval.
President Ruto nominated Sossion and Lentoijoni in July to fill two vacant positions at the commission. The nominations were subsequently subjected to parliamentary consideration in line with the Constitution and the Teachers Service Commission Act. The National Assembly’s Departmental Committee on Education, chaired by Tinderet MP Julius Melly, conducted the approval process before the House endorsed the nominees, with parliamentary records showing MPs considered and approved the appointment of Sossion and Lentoijoni in late August.
Following parliamentary approval, President Ruto formally appointed the two through a special Gazette Notice dated August 31, 2026. The appointments were made under Article 250(2) of the Constitution and Section 8(10) of the Teachers Service Commission Act, with both commissioners appointed for six years.
Sossion’s return to the TSC is particularly significant because of his long and sometimes turbulent relationship with the commission. He began his career as a teacher in 1993 and was employed by the TSC before rising through the ranks of KNUT. In 2001, he was elected Executive Secretary of the union’s Bomet branch and later moved into national leadership. He eventually became KNUT Secretary-General in 2013 and served in the position until June 2021, emerging during his tenure as one of the most outspoken voices on teachers’ pay, working conditions, promotions and labour rights. His union leadership also placed him at the centre of prolonged disagreements with the TSC, particularly over collective bargaining agreements, teachers’ salaries and implementation of reforms affecting the profession.
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Sossion later entered Parliament after being nominated to the National Assembly in 2017 to represent workers’ interests, before leaving the position in 2022. His appointment to the TSC therefore represents a notable turnaround for a former union leader who had spent years advocating for teachers while frequently confronting the commission over its policies. During his vetting for the new position, Sossion told MPs that his experience as a teacher, union leader and legislator would enable him to contribute to the management of the teaching service. He was among 33 candidates shortlisted for the two vacant TSC commissioner positions and appeared before the selection panel in June.
Lentoijoni, who previously served as TSC Director of Staffing, brings extensive experience in managing teachers and human resources to the commission. Their arrival comes at a critical time for the TSC, which is overseeing major changes in Kenya’s education sector, including the implementation of Competency-Based Education, teacher recruitment and promotions, professional development, and the management of Junior School teachers.
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The swearing-in will formally clear the way for Sossion and Lentoijoni to assume their responsibilities as members of the commission and participate in decisions affecting hundreds of thousands of teachers across the country. For Sossion, the ceremony will mark a remarkable return to the TSC, this time not as a teacher or unionist challenging its policies, but as one of the commissioners entrusted with helping shape them.
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