National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula has sparked outrage after claiming that some Members of Parliament receive TSC appointment letters directly from President William Ruto at State House for distribution to job seekers.
Speaking in Bungoma, Wetang’ula alleged that MPs who accompany him to State House are sometimes given up to 10 TSC appointment letters each, which they are expected to pass on to prospective teachers in their constituencies.
However, the Speaker claimed that some legislators have instead been selling the letters to desperate job seekers for as much as Sh400,000.
“There are some of our Members of Parliament whom I take to State House to see President William Ruto, and then the President gives them ten TSC letters each which they are supposed to bring to teachers so that they can be officially employed by the government, but they are selling them to Kenyans at a price of KSh400,000,” Wetang’ula said.
Wetang’ula condemned the alleged practice, questioning how ordinary Kenyans, including low-income workers, could afford such a huge amount to secure employment for their children or relatives.
He cited the case of a woman who works as a night nurse and questioned how she could raise Sh400,000 to secure a teaching job for her child.
“If someone is struggling, you are a night nurse, as that mother said, and you ask her for Sh400,000 to give her child a teacher’s letter, where will she get that money? That is immoral and we cannot accept leadership like that,” the Speaker said.
The Speaker did not name the MPs allegedly involved. His remarks have nevertheless renewed questions over the independence and transparency of the country’s teacher recruitment process.
Under the constitutional framework, the TSC is responsible for recruiting and employing registered teachers. The Commission’s documented recruitment process involves advertising vacancies, receiving applications, shortlisting candidates, interviews, vetting and the eventual issuance of appointment letters to successful applicants.
The claims are also not entirely new. Earlier this year, Nakuru West MP Samuel Arama alleged that teacher employment letters were being channelled through State House and distributed to political allies, raising concerns over possible political interference in the TSC’s mandate.
