President William Ruto has directed the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to compile and forward a comprehensive list of trained teachers who have remained unemployed for an extended period, alongside the budgetary implications required to absorb them into service.
Speaking during a public event on Monday, the President said the government is committed to ensuring fairness in teacher recruitment, especially for graduates who have waited for years without securing placements despite meeting all qualifications.
Ruto noted that the prolonged period many trained teachers spend outside employment is not only demoralizing but also counterproductive to the country’s education goals. He said the government will consider affirmative action measures to prioritize those who graduated long ago but have consistently missed out on recruitment rounds.
“We want to ensure justice for all our trained teachers. I have asked TSC to bring us the list of those who have stayed for long without being employed, together with the financial requirements, so that we can consider them under affirmative action,” President Ruto said.
He emphasized that the government’s commitment to education reforms must be matched with equitable employment opportunities for all qualified teachers.
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The directive has raised high hopes among thousands of unemployed teachers across the country, many of whom have expressed frustration after years of unsuccessful attempts to join the teaching service.
Education stakeholders have long called for measures to address disparities in recruitment, with some applicants waiting for more than a decade since graduation. The President’s move is therefore seen as a step toward clearing the backlog and restoring confidence in the recruitment process.
The TSC is now expected to compile the data and present a detailed report, after which the government will evaluate how to integrate the affected teachers gradually based on available resources.
By Philip Koech
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