The Ministry of Education (MoE) is facing mounting criticism over the alleged irregular recruitment and deployment of over 110 Quality Assurance and Standards Officers (QUASOs), amid claims that top politicians and influential government figures played a direct role in issuing employment letters to preferred individuals.
Education experts and stakeholders are questioning how the Public Service Commission (PSC), in coordination with MoE, managed to recruit and deploy the officers without publicly advertising the positions or conducting competitive interviews as required by law.
Reports indicate that the appointments were made between mid-2024 and early 2025, bypassing the formal recruitment procedures entirely.
According to a senior official within the Ministry, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals, the hiring was indeed done to fill significant staffing gaps in the field offices. However, the official admitted that the process lacked transparency and did not follow established public service guidelines.
“Yes, the appointments were made to address the acute shortage of QUASOs at the sub-county level. However, we were surprised at the sheer number of individuals recruited,” the official noted. “More concerning is that these roles were never advertised, and no formal interviews were held.”
By law, the Education Cabinet Secretary is required to declare any vacancies to the PSC, which then advertises, shortlists, interviews, and issues appointment letters to successful candidates. However, in this case, that protocol was ignored, leading to suspicions of favoritism and political patronage.
Whistleblowers and insiders allege that politicians, particularly Members of Parliament from the Education Committee, played a central role in handpicking and distributing appointment letters to teachers who were either their relatives or political allies. These appointments were made quietly and without public scrutiny.
In response, concerned stakeholders have called on the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to urgently investigate the recruitment process and expose any irregularities.
“This is clear abuse of office,” said one educationist. “Such impunity not only violates the law but also deeply undermines the morale of existing officers.”
Tension is reportedly high among QUASO staff already serving in the ministry. Some expressed frustration and disappointment after discovering that newly recruited officers were placed in higher job groups despite lacking field experience. “It is demoralizing,” said a senior QUASO from the Eastern region.
“You leave the classroom and are parachuted in by politicians to come and supervise experienced professionals. It’s a serious insult to our professionalism.”
The controversy mirrors a recent uproar involving the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), where several Members of Parliament were caught on camera distributing employment forms at constituency meetings, raising concerns about political interference in the recruitment process.
This comes at a time when most teachers and civil servants undergo rigorous vetting, interviews, and assessments to secure employment, further fueling public outrage.
What raises even more concern is that the Ministry of Education has not advertised vacancies for QUASO positions for the past four years, despite making internal appointments.
This contradicts the government’s earlier announcement of a freeze on civil service hiring, making the backdoor appointments even more questionable.
As pressure mounts, many are now demanding accountability and a complete overhaul of the recruitment process to restore fairness, transparency, and meritocracy in public service hiring.
