The National Assembly Education Committee has called on Kenyans to provide concrete evidence of allegations that Teachers Service Commission (TSC) employment opportunities are being sold or distributed through politicians.

Committee Chairperson Julius Melly during an interview with NTV, said Parliament is prepared to investigate the claims but warned that allegations must be supported by documented complaints to enable the committee to establish what actually occurred.

Melly said the committee would not support any attempt by politicians or other individuals to interfere with the recruitment process.

“We cannot, and my committee cannot condone the sale or distribution of letters by anyone, be it a member of Parliament, be it a senior citizen,” Melly said.

His remarks came after National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula alleged that some MPs receive TSC appointment letters to distribute to people in their constituencies.

Wetang’ula further claimed that some politicians have been accused of demanding money from desperate jobseekers in exchange for teaching positions, including an alleged case involving a payment of Sh400,000.

The allegations have triggered renewed debate over the transparency and independence of teacher recruitment, with questions being raised about whether political figures are influencing a process legally mandated to the TSC.

Melly urged teachers, jobseekers and members of the public who may have experienced or witnessed wrongdoing to submit written complaints to the committee.

“As a committee of education, I’m calling on Kenyans to give us the write-ups on questions as to what has really happened, and I’ll take it up,” he said.

The committee chairperson cautioned that Parliament could struggle to act where accusations are not accompanied by evidence.

“If they don’t raise the issues, it is now going to be a difficult thing to take it up,” Melly said.

The controversy has also attracted criticism from education stakeholders and legal experts, who have raised concerns about possible political interference in TSC recruitment.

Melly, however, said the committee would separate genuine complaints from politically motivated claims as it exercises its oversight mandate.

“I am going to take this issue up, and I’m calling out anyone with genuine evidential complaint to come before,” he said.

The allegations come at a time when thousands of trained teachers are competing for limited permanent employment opportunities, while schools continue to face staffing shortages in some subjects.

Melly defended the government’s approach to recruitment, saying priority has been given to subjects experiencing greater shortages, particularly sciences such as mathematics and physics.

He also said the government was on course to fulfil its pledge to recruit 116,000 teachers made during the 2022 election period.

The committee is now expected to rely on documented complaints to determine whether claims of TSC employment letters being sold or distributed through politicians have any basis and whether further parliamentary action is warranted.