PS rules out hiring of new teachers

The Treasury has ruled out recruitment of 20,000 teachers this financial year.

Permanent secretary Joseph Kinyua said the Teachers Service Commission had been allowed to recruit 10,000 new teachers in the ongoing hiring that ends next week.

Mr Kinyua was reacting to remarks made by Education minister Mutula Kilonzo, who had claimed that the commission had been allocated Sh12 billion to recruit 20,000 teachers only to advertise for half the number. Following Mr Kilonzo’s claims, TSC secretary Gabriel Lengoiboni wrote to Mr Kinyua seeking a clarification.

In his response of August 10, Mr Kinyua said the Treasury had only  provided Sh3.4 billion to enable the commission recruit 10,000 teachers. Add to the 5,000 teachers recruited in January, Mr Kinyua said, the commission would this year have recruited 15,000.

Kilonzo dismissed

The 5,000 teachers recruited in January were part of the deal that saw unions end a strike last year meant to force the government to drop the policy of recruiting teachers on contract.

The union successfully forced the government to hire contract teachers on permanent and pensionable terms. But Mr Kilonzo claimed two weeks ago that the commission had been given enough money to recruit 20,000 teachers.

The minister demanded an explanation why TSC was employing less teachers. But Mr Lengoiboni denied receiving the money, saying he had only received Sh3.4 billion that would be spent on hiring 10,000 teachers.

“There is no way I would have advertised for fewer jobs if I had been allocated more money,” he said on Friday, dismissing Mr Kilonzo’s claims.