The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) has renewed pressure on the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), cautioning its new leadership not to allow politics to influence teacher employment and promotion.
KNUT National Deputy Chairperson Malel Lang’at criticised the role of politicians in recruitment, saying it has locked out qualified graduates. At the same time, schools continue to suffer staff shortages.
Speaking in Kajiado, Lang’at emphasised the need for meritocracy. “As a union, we are saying that teachers should be given priority and a chance to be employed without any bias that has been in place due to politics,” he stated.
He further alleged that some politicians have personally collected employment letters from TSC offices and later distributed—or even “auctioned”—them at public rallies. Lang’at urged the newly appointed TSC CEO, Evaleen Mitei, to stamp out such malpractice.
A section of the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) headquarters in Upper Hill, Nairobi. Wednesday, March 4, 2020.
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At the same event, Elly Korinko, KNUT’s Kajiado Branch Secretary, called on the Commission to safeguard hardship allowances, warning that removing them or altering affirmative action policies in marginalised regions would discourage teachers working in remote areas.
Across Kenya, reports have consistently surfaced of recruitment and promotion letters being used as political favours for loyal supporters. KNUT insisted that these actions erode professionalism and demanded a clear line between politics and the teaching profession.
The TSC is also facing fresh accountability questions. Last month, Members of Parliament grilled the Commission after the Auditor General, Nancy Gathungu, flagged significant payroll irregularities in the 2023/2024 financial year
According to her report, TSC overpaid some teachers by KSh 433.9 million due to inefficiencies in manual processing systems. Out of this, only KSh 222.3 million has been recovered, leaving a balance of KSh 211.6 million still unaccounted for.
By Joseph Mambili
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