KNUT SETS 2026 BRANCH ELECTION DATES , PREPARES FOR NATIONWIDE LEADERSHIP RENEWAL
Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Secretary General Collins Oyuu has boldly challenged former KNUT boss Wilson Sossion as the union election campaigns kick off for the 2026 leadership race.
Oyuu told Sossion, “Come, baby, come!” signaling his readiness to face off against his predecessor.
The ongoing dispute revolves around Sossion’s eligibility to contest for the KNUT top seat, given his deregistration from the Teachers Service Commission in 2018, which Oyuu argues renders Sossion ineligible to run.
He emphasized that under his leadership, the union has strengthened its cohesion and boosted efforts to support teachers’ welfare.
While addressing the gathering, Oyuu insisted that he had not travelled to the region to campaign, noting instead that support from the Rift Valley branches was their own independent decision.
He praised the national office’s work, saying, “I can even say without blinking that the achievement of this leadership is seen all over. They have been very strategic in approaching issues, very calm and calculative.”
The leadership battle is heating up amid the union’s crucial 2025–2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations, where teacher salary increases are on the table.
Oyuu’s camp advocates for continued dialogue and stability, while Sossion’s supporters favor a more confrontational approach.
He stressed that the union operates as a collective, not a one-man show, reminding members that there is “no solo operation, individual praises,” adding that he would never take personal credit, because “the union has done this… we have done this… and we have succeeded together.”
This election will significantly impact Kenya’s 100,000-strong teaching force and the union’s strategic direction going forward.