TSC Jobs Scandal: MPs Receive Teacher Appointment Letters as 20,000 Vacancies Open.
Teacher unions in Kenya have issued strong condemnations following a disclosure by National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula that State House distributes teacher employment letters to Members of Parliament (MPs) for onward allocation to their constituents.
The statement, made over the weekend, has reignited allegations of political patronage in the recruitment processes of the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), an independent constitutional commission established under the Constitution of Kenya to manage the registration, recruitment, and deployment of teachers in public schools.
The disclosure has drawn renewed scrutiny at a time when the commission has advertised 20,000 permanent and pensionable teaching vacancies for junior schools.
Speaking at the weekend, Mr Wetang’ula stated that certain MPs accompany him to State House, where they are issued with TSC appointment letters intended for distribution to their constituents. He expressed regret that some of these politicians subsequently sell the allocated slots to members of the public.
Mr Wetang’ula was quoted stating: “There are some MPs whom I take to the president, and they are given as many as 10 teachers’ employment letters. Yet, you later hear that they have been selling those letters. If someone is struggling, for instance if you are a night nurse, as that mother said, and you are asked to pay Sh400,000 to secure a teacher’s employment letter for your child, where will you get that kind of money? That is immoral, and we cannot accept such leadership.”
Prior Disclosures of Political Patronage
The Speaker’s remarks are not the first instance in which allegations have surfaced regarding the distribution of TSC teacher appointment letters to government-friendly politicians. In an earlier disclosure attributed to Ms Maina, it was stated: “We were called to State House, and I will say it openly. We were given letters for the employment of teachers. I went with 11 MPs from Kiambu, and each was given 20 letters, totalling 220 letters.”
During a Senate debate held on July 3, 2024, shortly after nationwide Gen Z-led protests, Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna raised concerns before the House regarding political patronage in public service employment and its effect on unemployed youth.
Mr Sifuna stated: “When it comes to employment in public service, we have seen young people who qualify as teachers waiting all their lives to be employed, then you see leaders in public rallies and funerals, handing and dishing out employment letters from the TSC.”
Officials from the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut), the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet), and the Kenya Teachers in Hardship and Arid Areas Welfare Association (Kethawa) issued separate statements condemning the practice, describing it as an undermining of meritocracy that denies deserving Kenyans employment opportunities amid high unemployment among trained teachers.
Kuppet’s Position
Kuppet Deputy Secretary-General Moses Nthurima described the disclosure as “very unfortunate,” warning that the practice undermines the constitutional independence of the TSC and denies qualified teachers a fair opportunity to secure employment.
Mr Nthurima stated: “Wetang’ula is a lawyer and knows the status of the commission under our Constitution. When he says that MPs are getting letters from the TSC to dish out, sell or distribute them to their cronies and relatives, I think that is very unfortunate.”
Mr Nthurima further stated: “The TSC has a recruitment policy. Those who graduated earlier and get higher marks in the interviews are supposed to have an advantage over those who graduated later. But if appointment letters are being given to politicians to distribute to their cronies and relatives, then what happens to those teachers who have followed the proper process? These people do not respect the independence of the commission.”
He added that the Constitution established independent commissions specifically to shield them from external interference, enabling them to execute their constitutional mandates without direction from the Executive or political actors.
Mr Nthurima stated: “Merit is one of the values in our Constitution. When we take our children through interviews, which is how we bring the best out of them. But if this continues, it will be very unfortunate for Kenyans because it will reach a point where, if you do not know an MP, then you cannot be employed as a teacher.”
He further stated: “TSC cannot be directed by the Executive. If they subject themselves to politicians, then they have surrendered their authority to manage TSC.”
Kuppet National Chairman Omboko Milemba stated: “We condemn, as a union, any action of trying to employ teachers outside the TSC. We, as a union, do not support that. We want teachers to be employed through the TSC because that is the commission mandated to recruit and employ teachers.” Mr Milemba added that such interference was unfair to thousands of unemployed teachers competing for limited vacancies.
Kethawa’s Position
Kethawa National Secretary Ndung’u Wangenye stated that the disclosure confirmed long-standing concerns regarding political interference in teacher recruitment.
Mr Wangenye stated: “We have been saying that MPs are interfering and trying to influence the employment of teachers, but now this is a confirmation from the Speaker of the National Assembly.” He added that the revelation should trigger a serious examination of the TSC’s independence.
Mr Wangenye further stated: “Where does that leave our teachers who are not employed? What about those who have no connections to the MPs? You have teachers who have gone through the proper process, sat for interviews and met the requirements, but they are left out because they do not have political connections. That is not fair.”
Knut’s Position
Knut Deputy Secretary-General Hesbon Otieno stated that the claims of political patronage in teacher hiring could no longer be ignored. Mr Otieno stated: “It is even more serious considering that this is coming from one of the country’s highest constitutional offices and is touching on the very highest office.”
Mr Otieno added that political interference could partly account for instances in which qualified teachers repeatedly miss out on employment despite multiple applications meeting the required standards.
He stated: “There are people who have applied not once, not twice, not five times, even 10 times, and they deserve to get the opportunity, but they are not getting it. Then you have other people getting the chance through connections.”
TSC and Government Response
The TSC defended its recruitment process. Acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Evaleen Mitei stated that the recruitment exercise is conducted in a fair and competitive manner, as required under the Constitution and applicable law.
Responding to questions raised in the Senate, Cabinet Secretary for Education Julius Ogamba stated that the ministry would work in conjunction with the TSC to address the sale of employment letters, which he described as a criminal activity. Mr Ogamba added that increased transparency in recruitment data would assist in eliminating gaps within the process and in promoting fairness and equity.
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Conclusion
The disclosure by Speaker Moses Wetang’ula has drawn condemnation from Knut, Kuppet, and Kethawa, each of which has called for the protection of the TSC’s constitutional independence and the preservation of merit-based recruitment processes.
The TSC has maintained that its recruitment exercise is conducted fairly and competitively, while the Ministry of Education has indicated it will collaborate with the commission to address the sale of employment letters, which has been characterised as a criminal activity. The matter arises as the TSC proceeds with the recruitment process for 20,000 permanent and pensionable teaching positions in junior schools.
TSC Jobs Scandal: MPs Receive Teacher Appointment Letters as 20,000 Vacancies Open.
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