A revelation by Murang’a Woman Representative Betty Njeri Maina has sparked a national debate on irregular hiring at the Teachers Service Commission (TSC). Maina disclosed that government aligned MPs were given employment letters for teachers, raising serious questions on political interference in public sector recruitment.
MPs Given TSC Letters
At a public function, Maina openly confessed that she and other MPs were summoned to State House where they were each given a number of employment letters to distribute to their constituents. Eleven MPs from Kiambu County were given 20 letters each, that’s 220 jobs handed out without a competitive process.
This has raised serious criticism from teachers’ unions who argue that it’s against the law and denies qualified but unconnected candidates a chance to be employed. With thousands of trained teachers still unemployed, allocation of jobs based on political affiliation rather than merit is a concern of fairness and transparency.
Jobs for Loyalty: An Open Secret?
Maina’s remarks have exposed an ongoing but often silent issue in Kenya’s political landscape: use of public sector jobs as political rewards. Former Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu was caught on camera issuing a TSC employment letter to an unemployed teacher at a public function in Kisii County. Kibwezi West MP Mwengi Mutuse publicly offered a teaching job at a funeral further showing how political figures are influencing teacher recruitment.
These incidents show a worrying trend where jobs in public institutions are allegedly reserved for those who support the ruling government. This has led to claims that employment in the education sector is being used as a tool for political patronage.
Teachers’ Unions Condemn Politicization of Education
Teachers’ unions have strongly condemned these revelations saying political interference in teacher recruitment compromises the quality of education and disrupts staffing norms. KUPPET and KNUT have both called out the government for allowing this to happen.
Moses Nthurima, acting Secretary-General of KUPPET said merit based hiring is key, those who completed their training years ago should be prioritized for employment. “You can imagine when MPs are choosing their cronies and relatives to be employed, yet those who completed college in 2016 are still waiting to be absorbed,” he said.He added.
Implications for Kenya’s Education Sector
The politicization of teacher recruitment poses a huge risk to Kenya’s education system integrity. That risk comes from MPs having too much sway over who gets hired-and who doesn’t. This undermines meritocracy and means:
- Unqualified teachers get the jobs that more deserving candidates should have had.
- Politically connected regions get more teachers than others, which can lead to unequal distribution.
- Trust in public institutions like the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) starts to erode. Job seekers become disillusioned.
The Kenya Kwanza government promised to hire 116,000 teachers within two years. So far, they’ve hired 56,000 permanent teachers and 20,000 interns. But revelations of irregular hiring practices raise questions about whether those appointments were fair.
For Kenya’s education sector to truly thrive, the government must stick to merit-based recruitment and keep politicians out of teacher hiring. The TSC needs to reinforce those strict, transparent hiring procedures to ensure fairness and accountability. Any politician who tries to manipulate employment opportunities for personal or political gain should be investigated-and held accountable. That’s the only way to restore confidence in the system.
The question at the heart of this debate is: Should politicians have any role in public sector hiring? Or should recruitment follow the law, without any interference? The answer will decide the future of Kenya’s education system-and the credibility of its public institutions.
