Knut to hold nominations ahead of Friday national elections in Kisumu

Knut secretary general Collins Oyuu convened a special delegates conference at Tom Mboya Labour College in Kismu in a circular dated March 13.

The Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) will conduct nominations today ahead of its national elections scheduled for Friday at the Tom Mboya Labour College in Kisumu.

Delegates from all 110 KNUT branches have converged at the college for a Special Delegates Conference to oversee the nominations, which, according to the Knut constitution, must be conducted a day before the election and at the same venue.

Delegates will nominate candidates for several positions, including national chairperson, first vice national chairperson, second vice national chairperson, secretary general, deputy secretary general, assistant secretary general, national treasurer, deputy national treasurer, assistant national treasurer, two national women representatives, three trustees and representatives for persons with disability.

The leadership team constitutes the National Executive Council (NEC), the union’s top decision-making organ.

The current NEC leadership includes Collins Oyuu as secretary general, Patrick Karinga as national chairman, Hesbon Otieno as deputy secretary general, John Ndiku as national treasurer, Aggrey Namisi as second national vice chairman and Lenox Mshila as assistant secretary general.

Other NEC members are Alex Dunga, Eunice Bosco, Olando Kwach and Elli Korinko.

The NEC works alongside branch executive secretaries across the country to manage the union’s affairs and negotiate collective bargaining agreements with the Teachers Service Commission (TSC).

The KNUT constitution stipulates that any elected official at the branch level who wishes to vie for a national position must resign before submitting nomination papers.

Oyuu issued the notice for the elections on March 13, at least two weeks before the conference.

“All branches are therefore directed to prepare and appoint delegates to the special conference through properly constituted branch executive committee meetings, as provided for in the Knut constitution,” he directed branch executive secretaries.

The nominations for the April 3 KNUT elections come just a day after the Employment and Labour Relations Court dismissed an application by former KNUT secretary general Wilson Sossion seeking to halt the process.

Sossion, who had indicated interest in vying for the secretary general position, had sought conservatory orders restraining Knut officials from contesting the positions of secretary general and deputy secretary general pending the hearing and determination of his petition.

He also sought to stop the union from holding nominations until all the 110 branches, 47 county councils, and eight regional councils had conducted elections and were properly constituted.

In his main petition, which is still pending determination, Sossion moved to court seeking orders to restrain Knut officials, their agents or any person acting under their authority from barring him from contesting in the forthcoming elections.

He argued that his petition would be rendered ineffective if the orders were not granted and that denying them would not be in the public interest.

“After a holistic review of the case, the court was persuaded that the core foundation of the application, that is nomination and eligibility, are well provided for by the constitution of the association,” Justice Jacob Gakeri ruled.

“Public interest is not in favour of granting the conservatory orders sought, and as a consequence, that application was not allowed."

Oyuu and Sossion have been at loggerheads over the former secretary general’s eligibility to contest.

Despite a Court of Appeal ruling that Sossion was wrongfully deregistered as a teacher, Oyuu has maintained that the Knut constitution renders him ineligible to vie.

Speaking after a union meeting in Embu, Oyuu said the Knut constitution requires those seeking national positions to be professionally trained teachers with at least eight years of continuous service and to be union members.

He cited Section 4 of the revised Labour Relations Act, 2022, and Kenya’s 2010 Constitution.

“You will find that there's no place for someone who is not a member here. So don't talk to me about non-members of Knut. Knut is not a duster rag where you step out and come back wanting to be a candidate,” he said.

Sossion, who served as Knut secretary general from December 9, 2013, to June 25, 2021, resigned to focus on his legislative duties as a nominated Member of Parliament.

He maintains that he is a Knut member and has settled supplementary contributions and paid union dues up to June 2026.

“Those who qualify to contest for the secretary general position are those who have served as officials. I have held multiple roles in KNUT for over 20 years,” Sossion said during a recent TV interview.

Sossion’s potential return is expected to reshape the race, given his influence and experience in advocating for teachers’ rights.