BLOGS
New evidence show TSC forcefully removed non-local teachers from Wajir despite pleas by some to continue staying
NAIROBI—The Teachers Service Commission has been forcefully transferring teachers from Wajir County against their will.
According to evidence collected by Kulan Post, some of the teachers stood their ground and declined to be transferred saying the region was not as insecure as TSC would have Kenyans believe.
In a reply laced with emotions, Milred Akinyi Opondo, a teacher at Gurar Primary school declined a letter of transfer to Kajiado or Narok, stating that she could not abandon her pupils who were candidates for the upcoming national examinations—Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education.
“…I felt the plight and the need of the children and the candidate in my station who will be required to sit for the national examinations by the end of this year irrespective of the fact that they had no teachers to attend to them.
“I hereby wish that my request to continue serving this community will be granted. Since I was posted here, I have never experienced any kind of inhuman treatment from the community nor insecurity cases.;”
In a letter dated 26th February 2018, Jeremiah Njeri, a teacher at Wajir Girls Secondary school, similarly declined transfer offer saying he could not establish why he was being transferred while he was comfortable at his station.
“I am comfortable at my current station (Wajir Girls Secondary School) delivering my teaching services as expected. I find no reason whatsoever to transfer me from my current working station and as such continue serving in Wajir Girls Secondary school,” he wrote in reply.
According to sources at Teachers Service Commission, the transfer of over 500 teachers was affected on a single day following the death of a teacher and his partner at Qarsa Village in Wajir East Constituency.
“The decision to transfer this teachers was an emotional one and it did not reflect the decision of Commissioners,” a source privy to the matter told Kulan Post in confidence.
For such mass transfer of teachers from one posting center to occur, the board members have to agree. But on the transfer of teachers from Wajir County between February and March was a unilateral decision by the board secretary and the Chief Executive Officer of the Commission, Nancy Macharia.
This revelation is a slap on the face of non-local teachers who two weeks ago appeared before the Parliamentary Committee on Education sighting sexual abuse, gross discrimination and name calling.
National Assembly Majority leader Adan Duale termed claim as far fetched adding that, “As a leader from the region, I know how welcoming we are and I will not allow teachers who are seeking transfers to smear an entire peaceful community,” the Garissa Member of Parliament said.
“If you want a transfer, do not raise claims that have no basis,” he added.
Education stakeholders in North Eastern are now calling on the Ministry of Education and the Teachers Service Commission not to hire any more non local teachers in the region.
