Nyanza leaders have urged the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to implement affirmative action in hiring teachers to address the shortage affecting many schools in the region.
Prominent leaders, including Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga, Kabondo Kasipul MP Eve Obara, Kisumu West MP Rosa Buyu, Homa Bay Woman Representative Joyce Osogo, and Siaya Woman Representative Christine Ombaka, emphasized that affirmative action would help employ native teachers, filling the gaps left by those transferring to their home counties.
“There is an ongoing trend where teachers from other regions, posted in Nyanza, later apply for transfers back to their home regions. TSC needs to employ teachers on an affirmative action basis to address the shortage in Nyanza,” Obara stated.
Speaking at Kojwach Primary School in Kabondo Kasipul constituency after unveiling new NGCDF-funded classrooms, Obara highlighted that Homa Bay county faces a shortage of over 3,000 teachers. As a member of the National Assembly Education Committee, she expressed concern over regional disparities in teacher employment.
“The shortage of teachers is a worrying trend in the Nyanza region, and the government should address it amicably. We want more teachers employed in this region,” Obara added.
MP Buyu echoed these sentiments, referencing President William Ruto's acknowledgment of teacher shortages. “Let him employ teachers in Nyanza on an affirmative action basis to solve the matter,” Buyu said, fearing that persistent shortages could compromise the quality of education.
“The modern classrooms built in our schools will be of no value if there is a shortage of teachers. I see our children not doing well academically if this continues,” Buyu warned.
Governor Wanga underscored the importance of education as an investment for a productive future. “My government has invested heavily in education, providing 240 students with full scholarships up to university,” Wanga said, adding that they are constructing 160 modern ECDE classrooms at a cost of Ksh160 million in the current financial year.