Teachers Service Commission nominee Wilson Sossion has assured MPs that his previous role as Kenya National Union of Teachers secretary-general will not compromise his independence if appointed to the commission.
Sossion appeared before Parliament for vetting on Thursday, said his previous role involved advocating for teachers while also supporting the commission in securing resources and implementing programmes that benefited the profession.
He cited his advocacy in 2011 for the employment of teachers on permanent and pensionable terms, saying he engaged the Treasury to secure funding for the initiative.
“I wish to say consciously; the work I did was to support the commission so that it can support teachers. And it did happen. And I think that is a positive contribution to the employer because we're able to avail Sh2.4 billion and a further Sh1.4 billion for annual recruitment. And that work has gone on,” he said.
Sossion also defended his advocacy for better salaries for teachers, saying decent pay was necessary to attract and retain motivated, ethical and globally competitive teachers.
He said the negotiations he participated in were conducted with the government and resulted in agreements between the parties.
“It is a global program. And I think Kenya has done very well to pay teachers and review teacher salaries over time. It is what I argued for on the other side. So really, I was not pulling down the commission, but I was building the commission. And including even going to the length of negotiating on behalf of the commission,” Sossion said.
Sossion said his responsibility would change from advocating from the union side to implementing policies agreed upon by the commission.
He assured MPs that he would not seek to disrupt the commission from within.
“At the employer side, it is implementing. So I will seek to continue implementing the policies that are agreed within the commission that benefits the teachers of Kenya. Nothing much changes. I am not going to be a disrupter within, you know, when you are the policy implementer,” he said.
Sossion said he would defend the commission while maintaining constructive engagement with teachers and other social partners.
The former Knut SG said he would commit himself to implementing decisions made by the commission.
“Mr Chairman, I'll be very straight. I am sure I'll take a note of office once I'm approved. I will defend the commission and I will do that which is necessary in terms of promoting constructive engagements with the social partners,” he said.
“I will commit myself to ensure that the commission is administered within the policies and within the decisions that are taken.”
He assured MPs that he would remain loyal to both the institution and teachers.
“I'm not going to betray the commission, neither am I going to betray the teachers of Kenya, because whatever is agreed upon benefits teachers. And I think that is a spirit I'll carry to the commission,” he said.
“I don't think the commission is at war with teachers.”
Sossion also told MPs that he would prioritise the issue of delayed pension payments to retired teachers if appointed.
Sossion said teachers were still among public servants who wait the longest for their retirement benefits.
He said his understanding was that TSC processes the required documents before they are forwarded to the pension directorate.
Sossion pledged to continue advocating for the timely release of pension payments to retired teachers.
“And so for me, my concern and what I will do is to continue advocating for the director of pension to promptly release the pension to teachers. And as per Musila Bill, any worker exiting government payroll should automatically enter the payroll of pension for workers. I think as a country, we should be protecting our pensioners,” he said.
He said Kenya had undertaken several reforms in the pension sector, including the expansion of NSSF coverage, but maintained that teachers should receive their retirement benefits promptly.
“There are a lot of pension reforms within the pension sector, including all workers joining NSSF. And I think as a country, we’ve got a good ecosystem addressing pension, but then teachers must be promptly paid their pension. It’s not a difficult thing,” Sossion said.
