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Unionists in the education sector yesterday warned lawmakers against attempts to interfere with the planned countrywide recruitment of teachers.

Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) and Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) accused the MPs of encroaching on the mandate of the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) by seeking to influence the employment of teachers.

The anticipated nationwide recruitment of 30,000 additional teachers has been marred by fears of political interference and manipulation after it emerged that MPs have been positioning themselves to reward their cronies with the appointment.

There have been concerns that some MPs have convened meetings with their respective constituents together with their local sub-county directors of education to discuss possible recruitment amid fears that the lawmakers could be out to hijack the process to secure employment for their cronies and relatives. However, the unionists argued that such a move was tantamount to interference with the teachers employer’s work as stipulated in the law.

Knut Secretary General Collins Oyuu criticised the lawmakers over their alleged involvement in the teachers recruitment process. Oyuu told the legislators to stick to their constitutional mandate, saying the role of recruiting public schools teachers lied squarely with TSC.

He stressed that Knut will not allow the teachers hiring process to be hijacked by political interference. “We are telling the parliamentarians to stop indulging in the duties of TSC. According to the law, it is to the work of the TSC,” to employ teachers and not anybody else,” he said.

Oyuu’s remarks were reiterated by Kuppet Secretary General Akelo Misori, saying the education sector must never be politicised. “We are not going to lie low as matters of education are being politicised even to the extent of advising the TSC on the nature of who to employ and where. This must stop forthwith,” said Misori.

Solidly advocate

Speaking yesterday during the second day of the 62nd Knut National Delegates Annual Conference in Kisumu town, the duo announced that plans are underway by the teachers unions to form a federation that will tackle their issues.

 Oyuu said they had agreed that all the unions in the education subsector form a confederation to solidly advocate for teachers affairs going forward.

“We are on top gear to unite as teacher unions in this country so that no single union shall be left behind in the collective voice to address common issues that affect the teachers,” he said. Misori said: “There have been serious discussions to bring all teacher trade unions as a confederation so that we can push together from one direction.”

At the same time, the education union officials demanded that the government promote a group of teachers who had stagnated in their job cadres for a long time as away of improving their welfare.

Oyuu, while welcoming the government’s proposal to hire additional 30,000 teachers, said the process to promote several qualified teachers was long overdue. “We have reached our irreducible minimum on issues that wait to be addressed. Therefore, TSC must live to its promises on teachers promotion,” Oyuu said.

Meanwhile, the government has announced plans to employ 58,000 teachers annually in the proposed outlaid Education charter.

Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu said such a number of tutors will be hired yearly as the government seeks to mitigate teacher shortages in public schools and ensure efficient learning delivery.

The CS, in a speech read on his behalf by Nyanza regional education director Nelson Sifuna, said already in the first phase TSC has initiated the exercise of recruiting 30,000 teachers by January next year.