Embattled KUPPET Samburu Executive Secretary William Lengoiyap has declared interest in contesting for a top National Executive Board seat in the 2026 union elections, despite ongoing disputes with top officials.

The embattled Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) Samburu Executive Secretary William Lengoiyap has declared interest to vie for a top seat in the union National Executive Board (NEB) in the forthcoming union National elections in 2026.

Lengoiyap has now become the third branch official to publicly declare an interest in the top seat in KUPPET NEB in the 2026 elections, after Samuel Orwa Jasolo of Migori, who publicly declared early last year. However, he hasn’t indicated the seat he is going for, and Sabala Inyeni of Vihiga, who declared this year, will square it out with Paul Maingi for the position of National Organising Secretary.

Lengoiyap, who has been in crossroads with the top union leaders since 2019, has now stated that it is the right time for him to go for the National seat so that he can continue agitating for teachers’ rights and fair labour practices, though he didn’t disclose the seat he will go for.

“I am consulting my members and friends on the position I will vie, but I have made up my mind. One of the reasons the National officials are opposing me is that I have been fighting not only for my Samburu Branch members, but also advocating for Kenyan teachers to assert their rights. They have maligned and even defamed me to kill my spirit because of my plan to go to the national office,” said Lengoiyap.

Recently, KUPPET Secretary General Akelo Misori, in a statement dated July 28, 2025, removed Lengoiyap and Yvonne Mutindi from branch leadership of Samburu and Machakos, respectively, over various charges after conclusion of the disciplinary processes. Mutindi was the Machakos branch vice-chairperson.

Lengoiyap was removed from office over allegations of forged payslips, while Mutindi was facing allegations of misconduct, which they both denied. Lengoiyap moved to court to challenge the union disciplinary decision, a case that is still ongoing.

In early 2024, Lengoyiap faced similar challenges, as he, along with two other branch officials, namely Omondi Oluoch of Tana River and Moses Kimwere of Isiolo, were removed from the branch leadership and sent back to class to teach.

In the posting letter by the Teachers Service Commission dated January 23, 2024, Lengoiyap was asked to report to Kirisia Secondary School in Samburu and later changed and was posted to Samburu Mixed Secondary school to teach Biology and Agriculture.

However, the move was quashed by the Employment and Labour Relations Court in Meru on grounds that elected Executive Secretaries have a clear term of service of 5 years and can only be redeployed when they fail to be reelected.

It is said that the 2026 union polls might witness a large number of aspirants from branches, with the recent union constitutional changes being fought in court by Lengoiyap and other branch officials.

“They ring fence themselves by amending the constitution to lock out competitors and fight anyone who seems to have ambitions to compete with them. I believe I am ripe to go to the National office to agitate for our teachers’ rights,” said Lengoiyap.