TSC tells teachers wishing to contest in General Election to resign

What you need to know:

  • Several teachers, among them Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association chairman John Awiti, are eyeing politics.

  • Also seeking political office is Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) chairman Omboko Milemba.

Teachers wishing to contest in next year’s General Election have been told to resign by February 7.

Making the announcement in a circular to employees dated December 19, Teachers Service Commission chief executive Nancy Macharia said this was a requirement in the law.

Several teachers, among them Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association chairman John Awiti, are eyeing politics.

Also seeking political office is Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) chairman Omboko Milemba.

Makueni County, with 226, had the largest number of primary school teachers who left the service between July and September this year.

Bungoma and Kisii counties lost 225 teachers, each while Samburu had the lowest at 11.

A total of 3,922 primary school teachers left their jobs for politics while 601 resigned from secondary schools and other institutions.

The teachers’ employer advertised the positions this month.

Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i says Kenya has a shortage of 87,489 teachers.

Only six of the 47 counties have enough primary teachers while all secondary schools have a shortage.

The counties with enough primary school teachers are Kiambu, Kirinyaga, Kisii, Murang’a, Nyeri and Nyamira.

Kitui County has the worst shortage, requiring 2,562 teachers, followed by Kakamega at 2,442, Turkana (2,127(, Narok (2,388) and Homa Bay (2,182).

In secondary schools, Kisii is the most affected, followed by Bungoma and Homa Bay.

Technical colleges need 841 teachers, diploma colleges 55 and primary teachers training colleges 199.

Kenya’s 290,000 teachers are in charge of about 10.2 million learners attending 28,000 public secondary and primary schools. Knut has demanded that the government hires 90,000 more teachers at a cost of Sh18.4 billion.