Following his reinstatement to the post of Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Secretary-General, we take a walk down the memory lane of Wilson Sossion’s triumphant and traumatic journey from obscurity to national relevance.
Born 50 years ago in a village in the present Bomet County, Wilson Sossion came to the national limelight after the death of then KNUT Secretary-General Okuta Osiany from where he took over as the Acting Chairman.
Up until this time, Sossion was a secondary school teacher who had graduated from Egerton University in 1992 and had become a campus celebrity due to his obsession with acting in plays
Mudzo Nzili would later opt for the Chairperson’s seat after Sossion resigned from the position to seek the powerful Secretary-General position.
Citing pressure from teachers drawn from across the country, Sossion would be elected in December 2013 in a delegates conference in Nakuru.
One of the lowest moments in the labour unionist’s life was when he lost his wife to a tragic road accident.
At the time of her death, Sossion had three children-Chepkorir, Kimutai and Ng’eno together. He was forced to single-handedly take care of the kids, juggling the demanding teacher’s issues on the side.
He would, however, get married in a low-key ceremony at the Attorney-general’s office in April 2016.
This came after the unionist told members of the press that he was unsure if he would remarry following his wife’s death.
After the disputed 2017 General elections, Wilson Sossion was nominated by Raila Odinga’s ODM party, a position he initially declined but would change his mind after COTU Secretary General Francis Atwoli cajoled him to accept.
“We ask the two unions not to fall prey to some external forces, interests and pressures to either relieve these elected union officials of their positions or be coerced into calling for their resignation because as workers we are no doubt set to benefit greatly,” Mr Atwoli said at the time.
Since then, Sossion has been on a warpath with a section of KNUT officials who are of the opinion that he has divided attention, and also is on a double salary.
August this year, Sossion was ousted from office after the KNUT’s National Executive council held a meeting with the agenda of dethroning the 50-year-old labour unionist.
However, a Labour Relations Judge Hellen Wasilwa would rule on Tuesday that the NEC acted in contempt of court, and reinstated Sossion to the helm of the 60-year-old teachers’ union.