Former Law Society of Kenya (LSK) President Faith Odhiambo on Tuesday called for an investigation into allegations that Teachers Service Commission (TSC) employment opportunities are being distributed through Members of Parliament and sold to job seekers.
Odhiambo’s call follows remarks by National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula during a public engagement in Bungoma County on Saturday, August 22, 2026, where he discussed allegations that some MPs receive batches of TSC appointment letters through State House.
According to reports of the remarks, Wetang’ula said some MPs accompany him to State House, where President William Ruto gives them up to 10 TSC employment letters intended for distribution to teachers in their constituencies. He also alleged that some legislators subsequently sell the opportunities for as much as Sh400,000.
The remarks were made during Wetang’ula’s engagement with Bungoma stakeholders and members of the business community at the Mabanga Farmers Training Centre. The Speaker was discussing the conduct of some MPs and criticised the alleged sale of teacher employment opportunities.
Odhiambo reacted to the remarks on Tuesday, August 25, describing the alleged practice as a constitutional violation and calling for accountability.
“The Speaker of the National Assembly admitted that he takes MPs to State House where the President hands them 10 TSC employment letters each, letters that are then sold for up to Sh400,000 apiece. This is not a joke. This is not politics as usual. This is a constitutional violation,” Odhiambo wrote.
She argued that the alleged arrangement raises questions about the independence of the TSC, which is established under Article 237 of the Constitution and has responsibility for registering, recruiting and employing teachers.
“When the President, the Speaker, and MPs turn teacher recruitment into a patronage scheme, they are not just bypassing the TSC. They are dismantling one of the key independent institutions designed to protect public service from capture.”
Odhiambo maintained that the alleged sale of employment opportunities would disadvantage qualified teachers who have spent years seeking jobs through the established recruitment system.
“Qualified graduates are losing out. Young teachers who have waited years, interned, sat exams, and played by the rules are being pushed aside so that political favourites can buy their way into classrooms,” she said.
The allegations have emerged amid continued concerns over teacher shortages and unemployment among trained teachers.
Odhiambo cited TSC data indicating a national teacher deficit of between 96,000 and 116,000 posts, including a shortage of at least 72,000 teachers in Junior Secondary Schools.
She also claimed that more than 300,000 trained teachers remain registered but unemployed, despite the staffing gaps in schools.
“In other words, classrooms face a massive teacher shortage, while a large pool of qualified, unemployed graduates should fill those gaps through transparent, merit-based recruitment,” she said.
Odhiambo called for investigations into the claims and urged authorities to establish whether political actors are interfering with the constitutional mandate of the TSC.
“This demands investigation. It demands accountability. If the Speaker can admit this on camera and face no consequences, then the Constitution is dead letter. The state must either respect the law or be held to it.”
Wetang’ula’s August 22 remarks have since drawn renewed scrutiny of how teacher recruitment is handled and whether political leaders have a role in distributing TSC appointment letters.