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A branch of a national teachers’ union has rejected President William Ruto’s nominee for Education Cabinet Secretary, saying he is unsuitable for the position.

Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) members have reservations about Ogamba, said national vice chairman Aggrey Namisi on Saturday.The President should have picked someone with a background in education, Namisi said

Noting that the nominee is a lawyer by profession, Namisi said it would have been wise to pick someone else who “can steer the sector to another level”.

The nominee, he said, will be compelled to hire advisers to help and guide him on how to implement reforms in the sector.

“The [nominee] will not be able to give direction and advice on how to carry out reforms in the sector in the wake of challenges and emerging issues in CBC and JSS in primary schools,” Namisi said during the Chepkoile Knut branch annual general meeting.

Namisi, who was with branch Knut executive secretary Sammy Bor, advised MPs to reject the nominee.

Ogamba was the running mate of outgoing Education minister Ezekiel Machogu when he unsuccessfully ran for Kisii governor in the last general election on a UDA ticket.

He was among 11 people the President named in a televised address from State House on Friday.

Ruto dismissed his entire Cabinet on July 11, sparing only Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi.

Intern teachers

Namisi sought to assure intern teachers that they would be hired on permanent and pensionable terms.

“We advised the government to put on hold the hiring on contract of the 20,000 teachers and instead confirm the 46,000 interns to permanent and pensionable terms,” said Namisi.

But with budget cuts announced by the Ruto administration, any hiring of new teachers will have to wait.

The government announced austerity measures after the President withdrew the 2024 Finance Bill. The government was planning to hire on permanent terms junior secondary school teachers now in internships. But the withdrawal of the finance bill created a budget hole of Sh346 billion.