Lawyer Willis Otieno warns teachers days after State House event
Constitutional lawyer Willis Otieno warned teachers and other civil servants against being used to play partisan politics.
Speaking to a local TV station on Tuesday, September 17, 2025, Otieno expressed regret over a recent incident where at least 10,000 teachers from primary and secondary schools were hosted at State House by President William Ruto.
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“We are asking the question when it started, when these teachers went to the State House, what is the takeaway to the public good? When we say teachers and civil servants are not supposed to play partisan politics, it is not Willis Otieno saying it; it’s our laws saying it,” Otieno said.
Teachers and civil servants warned
Otieno stressed that the education sector has been under mismanagement for decades, partly due to political interference, and warned that civil servants must remain neutral.
He pointed to the success of former and late President Mwai Kibaki’s free education program as a turning point in Kenya’s history, saying it created an enlightened generation capable of holding politicians accountable.
“It will be a shame when that generation does not respond to what the Gen Zs have done to them. If you ask me, this mismanagement of the education sector in our times is a response to the success of Kibaki’s free education because that gave birth to an enlightened population that was able to hold legacy politicians to account and shake them,” Otieno said.
Despite criticisms, MP Samuel Arama has defended Ruto after he gave teachers Ksh 10,000.
He urged teachers and civil servants to focus on their professional duties rather than being used as political tools.
“I urge them that the job must be finished at some point. Teachers and civil servants must remember their primary responsibility is service to the public, not advancing partisan agendas,” he added.
In addition to Willis Otieno, Githunguri member of parliament Gathoni Wamuchomba argued that issues such as CBAs, promotions, and housing should be addressed through Parliament rather than through presidential pledges.
State House event under scrutiny
The visit of teachers to the State House has sparked debate across social media, with many Kenyans questioning the purpose and implications of such gatherings.
Critics argue that large-scale official events with public servants risk blurring the line between professional service and political mobilisation.
While the teachers’ State House visit was officially described as an engagement to discuss education initiatives, Otieno emphasised that civil servants must stay neutral.
“Any event where civil servants appear to take sides in political matters undermines the very laws that govern public service,” he said.
