President William Ruto’s senior economic advisor, Moses Kuria, has condemned the recent trend of politicians distributing Teachers Service Commission (TSC) employment letters during public rallies and funerals, calling the move “dangerous” and “a national embarrassment.”
In a strongly-worded statement issued on Tuesday, April 22, Kuria expressed dismay over the politicization of teacher recruitment.
“There are several great ideas on how best to destroy a nation. But the most glittering of recent times is politicians parading teachers’ employment forms in public rallies and funerals. It’s so sad, especially for us, the products of great teachers. We have sunk this low, sadly,” Kuria remarked.
KNUT Raises Concern Over Politicization of Teacher Recruitment
Kuria’s remarks echo growing concern from the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT), which last week criticized the involvement of politicians in teacher hiring.
On April 19, KNUT Secretary General Collins Oyuu decried what he termed as TSC’s abdication of its constitutional mandate.
“The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) is an independent commission by law and has the mandate to recruit teachers. It is alarming that the TSC has abdicated its role and mandate of employing teachers,” Oyuu stated.
He added that the current trend undermines transparency and fairness in the recruitment process.
“Never, never in the history of TSC have we seen what is happening now. TSC should be ready to work and operate within its mandate. And the mandate in this question is the recruitment of teachers.”
A Call for Decency and Fairness
Oyuu acknowledged President Ruto’s constitutional powers to facilitate teacher recruitment but urged that the process be handled with fairness and dignity.
“We cannot object to the executive powers of the President of this country to employ teachers. We want to thank him. But the manner in which these letters are distributed by some politicians leaves a lot to be desired. Yes, you can assist through TSC, but you must be fair and human,” he said.
In recent weeks, several political allies of the President have been seen distributing TSC employment letters at local events, raising questions about political interference and transparency in public sector hiring.
