The Employment and Labour Relations Court has dismissed an application by former Kenya National Union of Teachers secretary general Wilson Sossion seeking to halt the union national elections, clearing the way for the vote to proceed as scheduled.
In a ruling delivered Wednesday, 1 April 2026, Justice Jacob Gakeri declined to issue conservatory orders that would have stopped KNUT secretary general and deputy secretary general elections pending the hearing and determination of the petition.
Sossion had asked the court to restrain KNUT officials and agents from barring candidates from contesting in the elections scheduled for 2 April and 3 April 2026. He also sought to suspend the nomination process and invalidate a circular dated 13 March 2026 outlining the election procedures.
The court heard that Sossion raised concerns over the electoral process, arguing that it was incomplete and did not fully represent all union structures, including branches and councils.
Court declines to stop KNUT election process
Justice Gakeri ruled that the issues raised by the applicant, mainly on membership and eligibility, are governed by the union constitution and existing legal framework.
“After a holistic review of the case, the court was persuaded that the core foundation of the application is well provided for by the constitution of the association,” the judge said.
The court also considered whether the application met the threshold for granting conservatory orders, including whether there was a strong case, risk to constitutional rights and whether public interest supported the request.
KNUT opposed the application, arguing that its electoral process is lawful and internally regulated. The union maintained that stopping the elections would disrupt its governance and operations.
Justice Gakeri agreed with the union’s position, stating that public interest did not support halting the elections.
“Public interest is not in favour of granting the conservatory orders sought,” the ruling stated.
Sossion had also sought to delay the elections until all 110 branches, including Turkana, as well as 47 county councils and eight regional councils, had completed their electoral processes and were properly constituted.
Additionally, he requested an injunction to stop the processing or certification of any results arising from the elections scheduled for 3 April 2026.
However, the court found no sufficient legal basis to grant the orders, noting that internal mechanisms exist within the union to address disputes related to nominations and eligibility.
The ruling allows KNUT to proceed with its national elections as planned on 2 April and 3 April 2026.
The decision comes days after the Court of Appeal set aside Sossion termination by the Teachers Service Commission, adding to ongoing leadership disputes within the union.
Sossion petition challenging aspects of the election process remains pending before the court.