Revealed: How MPs allegedly distribute teacher jobs
Revelations that Members of Parliament aligned with the government were given Teachers Service Commission (TSC) employment letters to distribute among their constituents have sparked outrage, with education stakeholders condemning the practice as unfair and illegal.
Murang’a County Woman Representative Betty Njeri Maina disclosed the information, stating that lawmakers were invited to State House, where they were handed letters for teacher recruitment.
“We were called to State House, and I will say it openly. We were given letters for [employment of] teachers. I went with 11 MPs from Kiambu, and each was given 20 letters, totalling 220 letters,” she said.
Maina further claimed that MPs who did not attend the meeting missed an opportunity to secure jobs for their constituents.
“From Murang’a, we went alongside Mathioya MP [Dr Edwin Mugo]. And I know here in Maragua Constituency, there are teachers who are still waiting for jobs. Your MP is my friend. I will drag him and bring him back to the government so that you may get development,” she added.
Her remarks have drawn sharp criticism from teachers’ unions and political leaders, who argue that this practice denies qualified candidates a fair recruitment process.
This is not the first time such claims have surfaced.
Former Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu was once filmed handing an employment letter to an unemployed teacher at a public event in Kisii County.
Additionally, Kibwezi West MP Mwengi Mutuse previously boasted at a funeral in December 2024 that he could directly secure employment for teachers.
“Talk among yourselves and identify a qualified teacher who is willing to teach at Muatini Secondary School. Give me the name before the end of this ceremony so that he can be processed on Monday and start teaching immediately,” he said.
Education stakeholders have strongly condemned the revelation, saying it undermines merit-based hiring.
Acting Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) Secretary-General Moses Nthurima and Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Deputy Secretary-General Hesbon Otieno warned that the politicization of teacher recruitment will negatively affect the education sector.
“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 on merit. Will you be employed because you know a politician? What kind of image are we creating?” questioned Nthurima.
“When you employ teachers on political grounds, it means you are now fighting merit because the policy is that the person who completed college earlier must be considered first,” he added, emphasizing that the interference compromises the independence of TSC.
Otieno also warned that such a practice will lead to an imbalance in the distribution of teachers across the country. “The operations of TSC should not be politicized. TSC is a professional body,” he said.
It remains unclear how the employment letters were made available to politicians.
Calls and text messages sent to the TSC Director of Legal, Labour, and Industrial Relations, Cavin Anyuor, went unanswered.
The controversy has drawn reactions from political leaders, with Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya criticizing the move, saying, “The letters are for a select few who are aligned to the government. The rest must wait.”
Makueni County Woman Representative Susan Kiamba also decried the practice, stating that hiring should be done through proper channels.
“We have so many trained teachers who are struggling to find employment, yet some individuals receive appointment letters without even being interviewed," she said.
"This is a mockery of the hiring process and an insult to the many qualified teachers waiting for a fair chance.”