Wilson Sossion: Profile of ex-KNUT boss who declared Sh65m net worth as TSC nominee

Former Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Secretary-General Wilson Sossion disclosed a net worth of Sh65 million during his vetting for appointment to the Teachers Service Commission (TSC).

Sossion made the disclosure on Thursday, August 20, 2026, when he appeared before the National Assembly’s Departmental Committee on Education following his nomination by President William Ruto to serve as a TSC commissioner.

He told the committee that his declared wealth consists of homes valued at Sh40 million, land worth Sh15 million, savings in a Sacco and a personal motor vehicle. Sossion also told MPs that he had no outstanding loans or other liabilities.

“That is what my accountant picked correctly. My net worth excluding liabilities, I do not have any running loan; it is actually at Sh65 million,” he told the committee.

The former KNUT boss presented the declaration of his assets to Parliament as he seeks to return to an institution with which he has had a long and sometimes contested professional relationship.

Sossion's career in education began in the classroom when he started teaching in 1993 at Tenwek High School in Bomet County, where he is an alumni.

He later entered KNUT leadership at branch level, winning the position of Bomet Branch Executive Secretary in 2001 after an unsuccessful attempt the previous year.

His rise through the union's structures continued over the following years. He was elected to the KNUT National Executive Council and later became second national vice-chairman in 2007.

Sossion subsequently served as first vice-chairman and national chairman before moving to the union's top executive position.

In December 2013, the former classroom teacher became KNUT Secretary-General, succeeding David Okuta Osiany. He remained in the position until June 2021.

During his time as Secretary-General, Sossion was regularly involved in negotiations and disputes involving teachers' salaries, promotions, working conditions, collective bargaining agreements and education policies.

His tenure also included confrontations with the TSC, particularly over issues affecting teachers' employment and implementation of negotiated agreements.

Sossion's relationship with the TSC became the subject of several legal and industrial disputes during his years at KNUT.

He opposed some government education policies, including the delocalisation of teachers and performance appraisal arrangements, while KNUT under his leadership repeatedly raised concerns over teachers' remuneration and working conditions.

His position also became legally complicated after he entered Parliament.

In 2017, the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Party nominated Sossion to the National Assembly to represent workers' interests.

He subsequently served in the 12th Parliament while remaining KNUT Secretary-General for part of that period.

The dual role led to litigation over whether he could simultaneously serve as a nominated MP and KNUT Secretary-General.

In September 2019, the High Court found no conflict or unlawfulness in his holding the two positions.

His relationship with the TSC was further affected by his removal from the register of teachers and the termination of his employment.

A 2021 Employment and Labour Relations Court judgment recorded that Sossion had been employed by the TSC from September 1993 and had subsequently been granted leave from teaching duties because of his KNUT responsibilities.

The dispute continued through the courts. In February 2026, the Court of Appeal ruled that while there were procedural breaches in the process used by the TSC, the substantive decision to terminate Sossion's employment was lawful.

After almost eight years as Secretary-General, Sossion resigned from the union in June 2021.

At the time, he said he was leaving to allow KNUT to continue operating amid challenges surrounding the union and its membership and dues.

His resignation brought to an end a period in which he had become one of the most prominent national representatives of teachers. Collins Oyuu subsequently took over as KNUT Secretary-General.

Five years after leaving KNUT leadership, Sossion is now seeking a position within the very institution that he spent years engaging as a union leader.

President Ruto nominated him alongside Antonina Lentoijoni for vacant positions on the TSC. His nomination brought his previous experience in teachers' union leadership back into focus during the parliamentary vetting process.

Appearing before MPs, Sossion was asked whether his history as a teachers' rights advocate and his previous confrontations with the TSC could affect his ability to serve on the commission.

He rejected the suggestion that his background would compromise his role, arguing that his experience could instead contribute to the commission's work.

“The trade union side are merely advocates, and they are an integral part of the teaching service,” the former KNUT boss told the committee.

Sossion also pointed to the appointment of former Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) Secretary-General Dr Ouma Oluga as a Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Health as an example of a former trade union leader moving into government policy work.

He told MPs that his experience representing teachers had given him an understanding of issues affecting the profession and that, if appointed, he would seek to work with both the commission and teachers' representatives.

The TSC is responsible for registering trained teachers, recruiting and employing teachers, assigning them to public institutions and exercising disciplinary control over teachers.