Over 1,000 applicants in Baringo County who were shortlisted for recruitment by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) turned up at various vetting stations for verification and meriting of their documents.
Speaking during an inspection exercise aimed at monitoring and overseeing the progress, Baringo County Commissioner Stephen Kutwa lauded the Sub-County Directors for running the events smoothly and making sure all the shortlisted candidates had ample time to be assessed.
Kutwa, who was flanked by county TSC director Jackson Ogeto, assured the candidates of maximum security during the event, bearing in mind that the area is among the counties that have witnessed cases of insecurity in the recent past.
“All applicants, irrespective of their gender, disability, ethnicity, or home county, were assured of equal opportunities, although preference will be given to those who hail from the respective Sub-Counties,” Kutwa said.
Kutwa added that the seven Sub-Counties within the county were allocated a specific number of candidates for a total of 574 JSS teachers and an equal number of candidates for primary interns, who will have the privilege of filling up the limited number of positions available in schools during the two-day activity.
In his address, Ogeto said the commission was committed to addressing any complaints or challenges that might come up from the candidates during the exercise through the selection panel and promised to be available throughout for more clarification.
“There are a number of parameters available for the applicants who were given a score sheet in order to gauge their qualification levels and confirm results for purposes of consideration for employment,” Ogeto said.
The TSC Director clarified that in the event of a tie-on ranking, consideration of selection shall be determined by the length of stay after graduation or the strength of academic and professional certificates presented.
Ogeto urged all the shortlisted applicants who turned up to make sure they presented their documents because the merit lists generated to be used during this exercise shall be kept in a database and used in the subsequent replacement of teacher interns within the financial year or as directed by the commission from time to time.
“The lucky candidates who will be employed will know their fate by Friday next week, when they will be required to pick up their appointment letters,” Ogeto added.
The countrywide exercise aims to hire about 20,000 new tutors or more to be employed by the TSC in 2023 for positions in Junior Secondary (JSS) and Primary Schools (P1).
By Parklea Ivor and Caroline Cherono
