Move non-local teachers to urban areas—-Duale on how to stop exodus

Majority Leader, Aden Duale at a local primary school for pupils with special needs. (Courtesy)

GARISSA—Move teachers from fur-flung areas and post them at where there is security, Majority Leader Aden Duale said.

He added that teachers would feel secured at urban places.

“On the issue of security, we agreed that non – local teachers be moved near urban centers. This will ease the tension we are currently witnessing after the attack on teachers,” Duale said while at a local primary school in Garissa Township for pupils with special needs.

Aden Duale has previously criticised the Teachers Service Commission’s decision to transfer non-local teachers from Northeastern to their home areas.

The TSC began transferring non-local teachers from Wajir County.

This follows and Al-Shabaab attack on Qarsa Primary School on February 16, which resulted in the death of two teachers and the wife of one of the teachers.

The TSC, through a letter, directed non-local teachers from Wajir to make arrangements to report to their new stations immediately.

It gave the teachers 14 days to notify the education director of the county they were transferring to and already more than 100 teachers were reported to have transferred from the region.

The Garissa Township MP claimed that the commission also transferred non-local teachers from safe areas that are as far as as 500 kilometres away from the border with Somalia.

Leaders from Northeastern including Senators Yusuf Haji (Garissa), Adan Noor (Wajir) and Mohamed Mohamud (Mandera) and MPs have protested against the transfers. They termed them “ill-advised”.

Mr Duale said Muslim leaders would seek audience with the commission on Monday to find a solution to the matter.

“You cannot discriminate against the students. We will not allow it and even the President of Kenya will not allow it. We want you to dialogue with the leadership of Northeastern and on Monday we are coming to your offices,” he said.

The majority leader said that security in the region is not a mandate of the TSC but the responsibility of Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i, Inspector-General of Police Joseph Boinnet, Northeastern Regional Coordinator Mohamud Saleh and security agencies.

“We have very strong security officers from there and since 2015 the place has been very peaceful. But when you say teachers to come out from there you are simply saying Al-Shabaab should take control of the schools there,” said Mr Duale.