Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma has expressed his stance on teacher recruitment, stating that the key priority should be ensuring that all qualified teachers are employed, regardless of the process. His comments were made in response to Moses Kuria, the Senior Economic Advisor to President William Ruto, who criticized the public distribution of teacher employment forms by politicians at rallies and funerals. Kaluma emphasized that historically, some regions have been marginalized in teacher recruitment, and that the focus should be on giving opportunities to qualified teachers.
The issue has raised concerns, particularly regarding the role of politicians in the recruitment process. The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) recently condemned the involvement of politicians, claiming that deserving and long-serving teachers have been sidelined due to political interference. KNUT’s Secretary-General, Collins Oyuu, accused the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) of abandoning its responsibility and allowing such practices. However, TSC CEO Nancy Macharia dismissed the allegations, asserting that the commission follows proper recruitment procedures and denies that employment letters are being distributed by politicians.
