Kalenjins, Luhyas, Kambas and Kikuyus accounted for more than half of the newly recruited teachers in Junior Secondary Schools, according to new data released by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC).
In a submission to the Senate Committee on National Cohesion, Equal Opportunity and Regional Integration, the TSC revealed that the four communities made up 57% of the 68,313 newly hired teachers, raising fresh questions over ethnic representation in public employment.
The Kalenjin community led with 10,769 teachers, followed by Luhyas (10,466), Kambas (9,557), and Kikuyus (8,799). On the opposite end, Ogaden (5), Njemps (7), and Kenyan Asians (10) had the least representation in the national recruitment exercise.
TSC maintained that the recruitment was merit-based and carried out at the sub-county level, in accordance with the Constitution’s principles of fairness and equal opportunity.
“As a policy of the Commission, recruitment of teachers is conducted at the Sub-County level. This is aimed at according all Kenyans equal and fair opportunity for employment,” read part of the Commission’s response.
TSC also attributed the variations in ethnic representation to the uneven availability of qualified candidates across regions and subject areas.
“While the Commission strives for ethnic balance, recruitment is ultimately determined by the availability of qualified applicants. As such, some variations in distribution are expected,” the Commission stated.
The gender breakdown of the new recruits showed a slight male majority, with men accounting for 51.3% of those hired. The majority of the new teachers are youth aged between 22 and 35 years, reflecting the growing number of young professionals entering the education sector.
Additionally, 423 teachers living with disabilities were recruited. TSC acknowledged this was below the 5% threshold set by the Persons with Disabilities Act, 2003, but emphasized that all qualified disabled applicants who applied were considered and hired.
