Nominated ODM MP Wilson Sossion is no longer the Secretary General of Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT).
The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) de-registered him together with a host of other former union officials who have been elected to Parliament or have been nominated by political parties.
TSC led by Nancy Macharia on Monday wrote to Sossion and Omboko Milemba-who has been a long serving chairman of KUPPET and informed them they are no longer the leaders of the unions or teachers.
This is according to Regulation 187 (1) and (2) of the Code of Regulations for Teachers which stipulates that a teacher seeking an elective position ceases holding any trade union position and must resign or retire from service.
“The commission has decided to terminate your services as a teacher with effect from January 15, 2018,” read part of the letter from TSC to Sossion signed by JM Maundu according to the Standard.
“It has been noted that you were nominated as a Member of Parliament yet the Commission has not received your resignation or retirement letter,” added Macharia.
Milemba was elected the Emuhaya MP on ANC ticket. Several others who served as union leaders in KNUT within the counties and were elected to leadership positions on August 8 have also been struck out by TSC.
Earlier, Sossion was critical of this directive stating he will not resign.
Sossion was responding to a directive issued by Labour Cabinet Secretary Phylis Kandie who in a gazette notice asked all leaders of trade unions elected to Parliament to relinquish their positions.
Kandie’s directive was challenged at the Employment and Labour Relations Court where Justice Nelson Abuodha temporarily suspended the implementation of the notice.
Sossion defends his stay in KNUT arguing that he is in Parliament to represent the interests of workers.
He also said that the termination by TSC only affects those who actively sought for elective seats and not the nominated members like him.
“While I acknowledge the fact that I took oath of office as a nominated Member of Parliament, the nomination into the particular office was to represent workers and their interest (sic) in the National Assembly as a specially recognized category.”