Blow to ODM as KNUT's Wilson Sossion declines nomination offer

The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Secretary-general Wilson Sossion early this year came under fierce criticism from unionists and politicians as many accused him of using his position to advance his political interests.

Mr Sossion had during the campaigns for the general elections worked closely with the opposition coalition NASA and had been listed for nomination by the ODM party whose leader Raila Odinga was a presidential candidate.

Mr Sossion’s move to support the opposition created cracks within the union’s leadership across the country as his counterparts denounced having followed his political path as he had been advancing his own political mileage.

In July there were speculations that Mr Sosion had been nominated by ODM and that the Union had resolved to support the opposition.

KNUT chairman Mudzo Nzili came out strongly saying the union had not met to discuss the side they would support and that its members were free to make decisions on who they would support by themselves.

Mr Sossion has been reported on Monday 21 August 2017 to have asked the ODM party to remove his name from the nomination list and have it replaced with a different candidate to the national assembly.

Pundits in Mr Sossion’s backyard argue that he might have been influenced by former Bomet Governor Isaac Ruto who was also working with the opposition.

Ruto lost his seat to Jubilee's Joyce Laboso who has already taken the oath of office.

ODM party managed lesser seats to both houses of parliament and with the ruling party’s Uhuru Kenyatta ending up as the president-elect in the August 8 polls.