From Parliament to union politics: Ex-MPs seek Knut, Kuppet positions

Top officials of the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) and the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) have started their re-election campaign for another five-year term.

While Knut has set April 3, 2026 for the national poll to be held at Tom Mboya Labour College, Kisumu, Kuppet’s election is slated for April 18, at Kasarani Gymnasium, Nairobi.

The secretary-general’s position in the two unions, is generating a lot of heat with two former Members of Parliament seeking to dislodge the current office bearers.

Knut Secretary-General Collins Oyuu is set to face off with former office holder Wilson Sossion, who is also a former ODM nominated Member of Parliament, as the campaigns heat up.

In Kuppet, Secretary-General Akello Misori is seeking to fend off a serious onslaught against him by former Bomet Central Member of Parliament Ronald Tonui who was unceremoniously bundled out of office as the union’s assistant treasurer a year ago.

Mr Tonui who was unceremoniously removed from his position as the national assistant treasurer has returned to the union politics seeking to wrestle power from the man (Misori) who oversaw his tackle and removal.

Among those defending their positions in Kuppet are - Mr Akello Misori,the Secretary General, Mr Omboko Milemba, the national chairman, Mr Mwethi Njenga the national treasurer, Ms Catherine Wambilianga, the Woman Representative, Mr Paul Maingi, the Organizing Secretary, Mr Moses Nthurima, the Deputy Secretary General, Julius Korir (vice chairman), Sammy Chelanga (secretary tertiary institutions), Edward Obwocha (secretary secondary schools) among others.

According to a circular issued by Mr Misori on March 9, 2026, a Special National Delegates Conference (NDC) will be held on March 18, at the Kasarani Gymnasium in Nairobi which will culminate in the election of new office bearers.

Delegates interested with the various positions are expected to collect registration and nomination forms by the close of business on March 16. The nominations will be conducted by the Ministry of Labour on March 17, ahead of the election the following day.

“I have declared my candidature for the secretary-general position, registered as a candidate and paid the requisite Sh 500,000. I am confident that the teachers through the delegates will vote for change in leadership of the union” Mr Tonui told journalists in Bomet.

Laid-back leadership

Mr Tonui said the current Kuppet leadership had failed teachers who have got a raw deal from the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) in the recent Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBA).

“We have leaders who are satisfied with anything and everything that the government offers them during negotiations for CBAs. They (leaders) have not been keen on pursuing better terms of service for teachers, but only after their own preservation as top unionists” Mr Tonui said.

He said, “The government officials have not refused to pay teachers better and provide a conducive working environment. The truth of the matter is that the Kuppet officials do not have spine and have not pushed the government enough to cede more ground”

The former MP, who voluntarily relinquished his position ahead of the 2022 general election after serving two terms in parliament, said “the union requires fresh breath of life and energy at the top to represent interests adequately”.

“Unfortunately, there are leaders in Kuppet who are holding office yet they are not registered teachers, there are those who have made the union run like a personal business and use all means to remove progressive leaders who are seen to have support from branches across the country” Mr Tonui, said.

Mr Tonui was locked out of the national delegates conference in Vihiga last year following a fall out with a section of the top officials led by Mr Misori and national Treasurer Mwethi Njenga, that saw him later removed from the union.

However, the law and union constitution does not bar him from contesting any of the national positions in the election.

Knut top guns, on the other hand, have embarked on campaign rallying delegates from 110 branches countrywide to back them for another five year term following the conclusion of branch elections last week.

Mr Collins Oyuu, the Knut secretary-general in a communication on to branches stated that plans for the Special Delegates Conference (SDC) had been finalised and they should prepare delegates for the meeting.

“All branches are directed to prepare and appoint delegates to the Special Delegates Conference through properly constituted Branch Executive Committees (BECs), meeting as provided in the Knut constitution. The delegates’ allocation shall be communicated to you” Mr Oyuu stated in the circular dated March 13, 2026.

He also clarified that the nomination and registrations of delegates will be conducted on April 2, at the venue of the conference and will be supervised by the Ministry of Labour.

On Tuesday, Mr Oyuu led 11 national officials in touring regions to meet delegates starting with Embu in Mount Kenya, before rolling out to other regions based on the former provinces under the old constitutional order.

Mr Sossion, has declared interest to contest against Mr Oyuu in the upcoming national election, written to the union asking to be supplied with the election date and venue while declaring that he was interested in contesting the top position against his successor (Mr Oyuu).

Mr Oyuu is leading a charge for re-election by Mr Hezbon Otieno, the Deputy Secretary General, Ms Rosalia Mukanjala, and the assistant Secretary General, Mr Patrick Munuhe Karinga, the national chairman, Mr Malel Langat (First National Vice chairman), Mr Aggrey Namisi (second national vice chairman).

National Treasurer James Ndiku, the deputy national treasurer and Mr Ali Abdi Hussein, woman representatives Ms Mercy Kiambati ,Ms Mercy Muthoni Ndung’u the second national woman representative are also depending on their positions, along with the union Trustees.

The new Kuppet constitution creates five new national positions of –First Assistant National Gender Secretary, Second Assistant National Gender Secretary, Third Assistant National Gender Secretary and Assistant National Secretary Junior Secondary and Regional Councils.

Nine new positions of trustees have been created in the new constitutional order - eight of whom shall be elected by at the Delegates Conference and the ninth to be occupied by the founder Secretary General until the occupant is rendered ineligible.

The national executive board shall comprise 14 elected national officials that shall reflect regional, people with disability, gender balance and Junior Secondary representation.

In the revised fees payable by candidates, those seeking the position of secretary-general, national chairman, national treasurer will now pay sh500,000 registration fees while positions of deputy secretary-general, national vice chairman, national organising secretary, national gender secretary, national secretary secondary, national secretary treasury and assistant national treasurer will attract sh300,000.

The branch executive secretary, chairman, vice chairman, assistant secretary organising secretary, gender secretary, secretary secondary and secretary tertiary will pay Sh50,000 to contest the positions.

Ms Ann Kanake, the acting Registrar of Trade Unions, in a circular issued on September 25, 2025 directed trade unions to embark on grassroots elections between January 1 and March 30, 2026.

The national election has been set for between April 1 and June 30, while the umbrella union elections – Central Organizations for Trade Unions (Cotu) and the Trade Unions of Kenya (TUK) – have been given between July and August 30 to conduct their poll.

However, Cotu held its national election last weekend at the Tom Mboya Labour College, Kisumu where for the sixth time, Mr Atwoli and his team were unanimously re-elected.

Mr Atwoli explained that the Cotu poll was legally protected as the Registrar of Trade Unions circular was only a guideline and that those who could dispense with the matter earlier, were at liberty to do so, as long as it was in line with their union constitutions.

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