Chief Justice Martha Koome has challenged newly appointed Teachers Service Commission (TSC) commissioners to treat their new positions as a responsibility to serve Kenyans rather than an opportunity to wield power.
Speaking during the swearing-in of Wilson Sossion and Antonina Lentoijoni as TSC commissioners on Thursday, September 10, 2026, Koome said their tenure should be defined by integrity, constitutionalism and the impact their decisions have on teachers and learners.
“The measure of public office is not the authority it confers, but the difference that it makes in the lives of people,” Koome said.
She urged Sossion and Lentoijoni to approach their six-year tenure with humility, courage and an unwavering commitment to the Constitution.
“I therefore urge you to carry this responsibility with humility, courage, and an unwavering commitment to the Constitution,” she added.
The Chief Justice also stressed the need for strong public institutions, saying collaboration between state agencies and stakeholders would be crucial in delivering services to Kenyans.
“This country will stand on the strength of its institutions. This is what our Constitution requires. We must strengthen our institutions.”
The two commissioners were appointed by President William Ruto for six-year terms effective August 31, 2026, after Parliament unanimously approved their nominations on August 25.
Their arrival brings extensive experience to the commission at a time when the education sector faces persistent challenges, including teacher shortages, uneven deployment, workload, professional development, teachers’ welfare and implementation of agreements between teachers and the government.
The TSC, established under the Constitution, is responsible for registering teachers, recruiting and employing them, assigning them to public institutions and exercising disciplinary control, among other functions.
Lentoijoni brings more than 26 years of professional experience, including over 17 years in senior management at the TSC, where she served as Director of Staffing.
She began her career as a mathematics teacher at Kirisia High School in Samburu before moving into administration, giving her experience from both the classroom and management sides of the teaching profession.
Her institutional knowledge could prove important as the TSC tackles recruitment, deployment and workforce planning.
During her parliamentary vetting, Lentoijoni proposed reforms that would allow excellent classroom teachers to advance professionally without being forced into administrative positions.
“I would champion the expansion of mental health programmes to the county level to ensure that all teachers
“We will introduce two flexible career pathways where teachers who are excellent in the classroom should be able to progress to the highest levels without necessarily becoming administrators, while those who want to take administrative positions should also have that opportunity,” she said.
She also promised to expand mental-health support for teachers, proposing programmes at county level.
“I would champion the expansion of mental health programmes to the county level to ensure that all teachers receive the mental health assistance they need,” she told MPs.
The proposals come amid growing concerns over teacher workload, stress and the demands associated with curriculum changes.
Sossion, a former Secretary-General of the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT), he spent years representing teachers and challenging TSC policies, including during industrial disputes and teachers’ strikes.
He now sits on the commission he once confronted on behalf of educators. Sossion, however, rejected suggestions that his previous activism undermined the commission.
“I was not pulling down the commission, but I was building the commission,” he said.
He pledged to support policies adopted by the commission while continuing to champion teachers’ interests.
“I will seek to continue implementing the policies that are agreed within the commission that benefit the teachers of Kenya,” he said.
“My concern and what I will do is to continue advocating for the director of pension to promptly release the pension to teachers.”
He also pledged to confront corruption and address cases involving missing retirees’ files, which can delay pension payments.
The commissioners inherit a sector requiring difficult decisions on equitable teacher distribution, recruitment and implementation of the Competency-Based Education (CBE) system.
CBE has created new demands for teacher training, recruitment, deployment and assessment, while disparities in teacher numbers continue to affect schools differently across the country.
The commission must also balance the interests of teachers, government and learners while maintaining accountability and professional standards.
