President William Ruto responds to KNUT Secretary General Collins Oyuu at State House, promising a 60-day plan to address the plight of unemployed teachers aged 45 and above.

President William Ruto has assured unemployed teachers aged 45 years and above that their long wait for classroom postings will soon come to an end, with a clear plan to be unveiled in 60 days.

The Head of State was speaking at State House, Nairobi, during a meeting with over 10,000 teachers when he responded to a recommendation by KNUT Secretary General Collins Oyuu, who had raised concerns about graduate teachers who have remained jobless for decades.

Ruto acknowledged the plight of teachers who are now nearing retirement without ever having served in schools. “There are teachers over 45 years who have never been in any class. With a little more time passing, they will retire from outside. That is unfair,” he said.

To correct the imbalance, Ruto announced that the government will introduce a new recruitment approach starting this December. “We are going to implement a first-out, first-in mode that prioritises long-waiting graduate teachers. Those who have stayed out longest will be considered first,” he declared.

He further emphasized fairness for primary school educators. “Where it concerns primary school teachers, we must do an affirmative action so that they are not left behind,” Ruto added.

The President directed the Ministry of Education, teachers’ unions, and associations to work with the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to establish the exact number of unemployed teachers aged 45 and above. “I want the Ministry of Education, unions, and associations to sit down and tell me how many teachers are in this group so that I can plan properly for them,” he stated.

He gave a 60-day timeline for the process. “Give me time to work on the numbers. Within 60 days, we will communicate through the Ministry of Education what we are going to do,” Ruto assured the delegates.

The President also hinted that the plan may borrow from a proposal by Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (KESSHA) chair Willis Kuria, who had called for a “Marshall Plan” to resolve teacher employment backlogs.