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| KNUT Secretary-General Collins Oyuu |
Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Secretary-General Collins Oyuu has given fresh hope to thousands of trained teachers who have remained unemployed for years, saying a new agreement between the union and the government will finally address their long wait.
Speaking during a meeting in Rongo on Sunday, Oyuu announced that President William Ruto had committed to absorbing all teachers who have stayed out of government employment for extended periods.
According to Oyuu, many qualified teachers have endured years of frustration, with some reaching the age of 45 without securing a single government posting.
He termed the situation unacceptable and said the union has pushed for a targeted affirmative action plan to ensure these long-forgotten tutors are prioritized in recruitment.
The initiative, he said, is now underway and will guarantee that no teacher who has been left behind continues to wait indefinitely.
Oyuu noted that the challenge does not end with recruitment.
Thousands of teachers already serving in public schools have stagnated in the same job groups for years, despite having the required qualifications and experience for upward mobility.
He revealed that the government had finally acknowledged this long-standing issue and agreed to allocate more resources to address it.
The KNUT boss disclosed that President Ruto had approved a significant increase in the budget for teacher promotions—from KSh 1 billion to KSh 2 billion.
The additional funding, he said, will enable a larger number of teachers to benefit from promotions in the coming year, correcting years of neglect that left many educators stuck in the same grade with no career progression.
Oyuu also praised the Kenya Kwanza administration for what he termed a historic achievement in teacher recruitment.
He pointed out that the government had hired 76,000 teachers within its first three years, the highest number brought into the service in such a short time in the country’s history.
He added that an additional 20,000 teachers are set to be recruited in January 2026, further easing staffing shortages across schools.
The KNUT Secretary-General insisted that these steps mark a major shift in the government’s approach to education staffing and career development.
He emphasized that the union will continue to push for fair treatment of teachers, ensuring that both recruitment and promotion processes remain transparent and consistent with the needs of the profession.
