The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Secretary General, Collins Oyuu, has called on the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to maintain its independence, mandate and integrity in the recruitment of teachers for public institutions.
He warned against political interference which he claimed had marred the process.
Speaking during a Sunday church service at Chepkogonyo Deliverance Church in Bomet County, Oyuu expressed concern over the manner in which the recent teacher recruitment exercise was conducted, blaming some politicians for undue interference in the exercise which was otherwise an express and constitutional mandate of the TSC.
Oyuu alleged that some politicians across the country were openly distributing TSC employment letters during funerals and political gatherings, without regard to the traditionally held criteria, in a bid to gain political mileage, which is likely to demean the integrity of the teaching profession.
“The last teacher recruitment wasn’t done fairly. Politicians were dishing out TSC letters at funerals and barazas to gain political mileage and as a union, we feel the pain when our teachers are employed under unclear and questionable circumstances. The entire process raises more questions than answers,” Oyuu said.
The union leader noted that such actions not only undermined the credibility of the TSC but also pushed desperate job seekers into unnecessary anxiety and distress.
Oyuu said that the KNUT secretaries across all counties have been receiving complaints from young and unemployed graduate teachers who were unfairly treated and discriminated against by the politicians who were only keen on rewarding their supporters while distributing the letters, without regard to merit or seniority in year of graduation.
He claimed that the distribution of TSC teacher recruitment forms was marred with irregularities, and some beneficiaries were reportedly forced to sell their property to raise money to buy the forms from unscrupulous persons.
“We have received disturbing reports of young graduates and their families selling land to buy TSC forms that were allegedly being auctioned and this is unacceptable,” he stated.
Oyuu further emphasized that KNUT had gathered sufficient evidence of irregularities in the recruitment process and was ready to present the findings to the TSC if called for.
“We are prepared to present evidence if need be. It is time TSC scrutinizes its processes and ensures transparency in the whole exercise,” he stated.
The KNUT Secretary General further urged the commission to adhere strictly to official recruitment procedures, such as prioritizing the year of graduation and other merit-based criteria, rather than allowing external forces to manipulate and dilute the process.
“Let employment be based on merit and fairness. The proper guidelines should be followed, including graduation year and academic qualifications,” Oyuu said.
His remarks come at a time when the TSC has announced plans to recruit 20,000 more teachers by July this year in a bid to address the acute shortage of educators across the country.
However, Oyuu insisted that unless transparency is upheld by TSC sticking to its mandate, such efforts will be in futility.
“We challenge TSC to express transparency in the upcoming recruitment by avoiding using politicians who aren’t recruitment agents in giving out the appointment letters. Let them restore the trust of the teaching fraternity and the public as it were,” he said.
The concerns raised by the KNUT leader over the recent involvement of politicians and other individuals who aren’t agents of the TSC in teacher recruitment have since stirred public interest and are likely to raise eyebrows in the upcoming TSC recruitment drive.
By Nickson Terer
