For nearly three years, Mr Peter Kamoet has been jobless after he was interdicted by his employer, the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), along with more than 100 others who fled their workstations in the North Eastern region due to terror attacks.
Mr Kamoet, who was teaching at Fincharo Secondary School in Elwak Sub-county, Mandera County — just 15 kilometres from the Kenya-Somalia border — fled the region after an Al-Shabaab killed his colleague inside a police station where they had sought refuge.
“We went to seek safety at a police station after Al-Shabaab attacked our village. I was there... I saw them kill my colleague inside the police station. It was the most horrid thing I have ever witnessed,” said Mr Kamoet, who later sought therapy.
A History and Kiswahili teacher, he eventually overcame the trauma.
However, some of his colleagues have not recovered and have turned to alcoholism. While a few teachers returned to their workstations, others sued TSC over their interdiction.
After nearly three years of court proceedings through the Kenya Teachers in Hardship and Arid Areas Welfare Association (Kethawa), the Employment and Labour Relations Court in Nairobi directed that the matter proceed to mediation.
The court ordered the 57 teachers at the centre of the labour dispute to personally attend the mediation proceedings alongside senior TSC officials.
“We warmly welcome the opportunity for dialogue through a mediator and are hopeful that this process will lead to a fair and timely resolution. It is our prayer that the outcome of the mediation will pave the way for our transfer to our respective home counties and the payment of our dues,” said Mr Kamoet.
He added that his colleagues have endured immense economic, social and psychological hardship.
“Some are facing depression due to the prolonged uncertainty. Despite everything, we remain fully committed to our duties and are ready to support the Competency-Based Education (CBE) framework, which we recognise as a key pillar in the current education reforms,” he said.
On July 17, 2025, Justice Byram Ongaya ordered that the case—filed under case number ELRCPET/E246/2023 Kethawa vs Teachers Service Commission and Others—be referred to Court-Annexed Mediation.
Justice Ongaya directed that the case be mentioned before the Deputy Registrar or Assistant Deputy Registrar on Monday (July 21) for the appointment of a mediator.
He further ordered that the mediation commence immediately after the appointment and proceed expeditiously with a deadline for completion set for September 1, 2025.
The TSC Chairperson and CEO have also been ordered to attend the mediation in person alongside all legal counsel involved.
The case will be mentioned again on October 22, 2025, for the court to record the outcome of the mediation and issue further directions.
“The mediator to convene a meeting forthwith after the appointment and the mediation proceedings to continue expeditiously so that they are as far as possible concluded by September 1, 2025. The affected 57 teachers were to personally attend the mediation proceedings, each and every one of them,” said Justice Ongaya.
Among the interdicted teachers is Mr Charles Achol who has resorted to doing menial jobs to survive.
Mr Achol joined TSC in January 2021 but encountered difficulties after being posted to teach at Lafey Boarding Primary School in Mandera County.
After working in the terror-prone area for three years, he requested a transfer, which TSC rejected.
A native of Siaya County, Mr Achol said he used to sleep in a ditch alongside police officers. Most teachers had abandoned their houses due to insecurity opting instead to stay in police camps.
“I endured suffering for three years before requesting a transfer due to the rampant Al-Shabaab attacks but it was denied,” he said.
He later received warning letters, show-cause notices, appeared before disciplinary committees and was eventually interdicted. After going to court, he was found guilty and handed a one-month suspension which ended on December 4, 2023.
“After the suspension, we were waiting for reposting letters. Some teachers were posted back to Mandera, but I wasn’t. I petitioned the National Assembly’s Education Committee, chaired by Julius Melly, which promised to act—but we have heard nothing to date,” he said.
In February 2024, 120 affected teachers returned to court seeking an order to stop the repostings but TSC requested more time. The court granted an additional month, which elapsed in March.
“We were given until April 5 to reach an agreement and register it with the court. TSC was supposed to reach out to us but they did not so the window closed,” said Mr Achol.
Due to his interdiction, Mr Achol now sells omena (small fish) in Nairobi.
“We are just at home, jobless and hopeless. Because of the interdiction, you can’t even apply for a job in a private school,” he added.
In 2020, TSC transferred 2,340 non-local teachers from North Eastern after a pre-dawn terror attack in Kamuthe, Garissa County, claimed the lives of three teachers.
