Education scholar and a respected university lecturer Prof. Maurice Okoth has advised former Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Secretary General Wilson Sossion to reconsider his reported bid to return to the leadership of KNUT, urging him instead to pursue the position of Chief Executive Officer of the Teachers Service Commission (TSC).
In a strongly worded open letter circulating within education circles, Prof. Okoth argues that Sossion’s experience and legacy would be better utilized in institutional reform rather than in what he terms as a return to “yesterday’s battles” within union politics.
Sossion, who previously served as KNUT Secretary-General and later as a nominated Member of Parliament, recently regained eligibility to vie for union leadership following a favorable court ruling that reinstated his teacher registration.
The decision cleared a key legal hurdle, paving the way for a potential comeback in the powerful teachers’ union.
His remarks come at a time when Sossion has announced he will challenge the current KNUT Secretary-General, Collins Oyuu, in the upcoming national elections.
However, Prof. Okoth maintains that the future of Kenya’s education sector lies not in renewed confrontation between unions and regulators, but in strengthening institutions—particularly the TSC, which oversees teacher recruitment, deployment, promotion, discipline, and professional development.
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“The centre of gravity in education has shifted,” Prof. Okoth states in the letter.“Real reform now lies w ithin institutions, not megaphone politics.”
He contends that Sossion’s background as a classroom teacher, union leader, and legislator uniquely positions him to lead systemic reforms at the TSC.
According to Okoth, years of strained relations between KNUT and TSC have contributed to instability and diminished public confidence in the teaching profession.
Rather than reigniting old rivalries, the professor argues, Sossion should seize the opportunity to “move from agitation to architecture” by steering teacher management reforms from within the commission.
The remarks have sparked debate within education and union circles, with supporters of Sossion viewing a KNUT return as unfinished business, while others see merit in calls for generational transition in union leadership.
As discussions intensify ahead of the anticipated KNUT elections, Prof. Okoth’s intervention adds a fresh dimension to the conversation on leadership, legacy, and the future direction of Kenya’s education sector.
By Our reporter
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