The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) criticised President William Ruto and the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) over the recruitment of teachers.
Speaking on April 19, KNUT Secretary General Collins Oyuu asked the President and TSC to be fair in the recruitment process. This was after a revelation that President William Ruto’s allies were distributing TSC employment letters.
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Oyuu said KNUT is concerned about the process of recruiting teachers and the issues raised about it.
He explained that TSC is an independent commission by law mandated to recruit teachers.
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“The Teachers Service Commission, to some level, has abdicated its role and co-function of employment of teachers,” he said.
“Never, never in the history of TSC have we seen what is happening now. TSC should be ready to work and operate within its mandate. And the mandate in this question is the recruitment of teachers.”
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Oyuu said the President has executive powers and can help in employing teachers.
He thanked Ruto for his role but stressed that the recruitment must be done fairly.
Oyuu said KNUT is not impressed with the way some politicians distribute TSC employment letters.
“We cannot object to the executive powers of the president of this country to employ teachers. We want to thank him,” he said.
“But how these forms are distributed by some politicians leaves a lot to be desired. Yes, you can assist through TSC, but you must be fair and human.”
KNUT Asks TSC to Prioritise Age & Graduation Years
Additionally, he said TSC should recruit teachers who graduated earlier, ahead of those who finished school recently.
He emphasised that the Commission should also prioritise age during the recruitment process.
“The idea of picking on a teacher who completed college in 2023 and leaving out one who completed teacher training college in 2010 leaves more questions than answers,” he said.
“And as a union, we must state categorically that even in employment, you must be very fair, because we have teachers who are over 50 years old; where will they go? Because they are still out there, they must be employed.”
Also Read: How TSC Promotes Teachers: Criteria and Minimum Requirements
TSC Dismisses Claims of Favouritism in Promotions
This comes after TSC CEO Dr. Nancy Macharia told the National Assembly Education Committee that more than 178,000 teachers have remained stuck in the same job group.
Macharia said this was due to a Ksh35 billion funding shortfall, with only Ksh2 billion allocated over two financial years to address the backlog.
“Lack of sufficient budgetary provision has significantly impeded the career growth of teachers. This stagnation has triggered complaints from unions, lowered morale, and contributed to increased attrition within the profession,” Macharia said.
Also Read: TSC Raises Alarm Over Teacher Shortage Despite Ruto Promises
She also dismissed allegations of favouritism in the recruitment and promotion of teachers.
Macharia said TSC uses a digitised application system and adheres to Regulation 73 of the Code of Regulations for Teachers (CORT), and data analytics to guide the equitable distribution of promotion opportunities.
“The process is guided by transparency, performance, merit, and affirmative action, especially in marginalised and hard-to-staff areas,” she said.
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