Speaker of the National Assembly, Moses Wetang'ula./PARLIAMENTA storm has erupted over claims that teachers’ employment letters are being issued to MPs for distribution to constituents, with teachers’ unions and lawyers warning that the practice could undermine the independence of the Teachers Service Commission (TSC).
National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula said over the weekend that some MPs receive as many as 10 TSC employment letters for their constituents. However, he was concerned that some politicians allegedly sell the employment opportunities to desperate jobseekers.
“There are some MPs who are given as many as 10 teachers’ employment letters. Yet, you later hear that they have been selling those letters,” Wetang’ula said.
He cited the case of a parent who was allegedly asked to pay Sh400,000 to secure a teaching job for her child, describing the practice as immoral.
“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,” he said.
The remarks have drawn criticism from teachers’ unions, which say they amount to an admission of political involvement in teacher recruitment.
Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) Deputy Secretary-General Moses Nthurima said the alleged distribution of appointment letters through politicians undermines the independence of the TSC and disadvantages qualified teachers who follow the established recruitment process.
“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,” Nthurima told Daily Nation.
He said TSC recruitment is supposed to give consideration to factors including candidates’ graduation dates and performance during interviews.
“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?” he said.
Nthurima warned that political interference could undermine the constitutional independence of the commission.
“TSC cannot be directed by the Executive. If they subject themselves to politicians, then they have surrendered their authority to manage TSC,” he said.
The Kenya Teachers in Hardship and Arid Areas Welfare Association (Kethawa) also said the remarks had confirmed concerns it had previously raised over political influence in teacher recruitment.
“We have been saying that MPs influence the employment of teachers, but now this is a confirmation from the Speaker of the National Assembly,” Kethawa National Secretary Ndung’u Wangenye said.
Former Law Society of Kenya president Faith Odhiambo also criticised the alleged practice, arguing that teacher recruitment is constitutionally assigned to the TSC.
Odhiambo said the alleged practice would undermine the constitutional independence of the TSC and deny qualified teachers an opportunity to secure jobs through a transparent and merit-based process.
She cited Article 237 of the Constitution, which establishes the TSC and gives it the mandate to recruit and appoint registered teachers.
She criticised the alleged involvement of political leaders in teacher recruitment, arguing that it could turn public employment into a form of political patronage.
“This is not a joke. This is not politics as usual. This is a constitutional violation. When the State House, the Speaker, and MPs turn teacher recruitment into a patronage scheme, they are not just bypassing the TSC. They are dismantling one of the key independent institutions designed to protect public service from capture,” she said.
Odhiambo said qualified teachers who have graduated, undertaken internships and participated in recruitment processes risk being disadvantaged if employment opportunities are allocated through political connections.
She also pointed to the country's teacher shortage and the large number of trained but unemployed teachers, arguing that vacancies should instead be filled through an open and competitive process.
“This demands investigation. It demands accountability,” she said.
Odhiambo called on state institutions to uphold the Constitution and ensure that teacher recruitment is conducted independently, transparently and on merit.
