The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has interdicted tens of primary and secondary school teachers who are yet to return to their work station in North Eastern region due to insecurity.
This comes barely a month after the National Assembly barred TSC from interdicting non-local teachers who had refused to go back to class citing insecurity in the region.
The teachers had written letters to MPs seeking their intervention after they failed to report to their various workstations in Mandera, Wajir and Garissa counties.
“You deserted duty with effect from 08/09/2023 to date... Consequently, you are hereby interdicted with effect from 22/09/2023. Before TSC proceeds to consider and determine your case you are invited to make a defence statement in writing within 21 days from the date of this letter,” read an interdiction letter to a teacher.
They were further instructed to indicate their nearest TSC sub-county office where they will be required to report once a month and present any other evidence including documents in support of their case.
A group of teachers from the North Eastern gather at the Teachers Service Commission headquarters in Nairobi to demand their transfer from the region due to insecurity.
Photo credit: Wilfred Nyangaresi | Nation Media Group
“Vacate office and continue to be away, provide your contact address, email and telephone number and forfeit your annual leave,” the letter added.
Last month, the National Assembly Education Committee led by its chairperson Julius Melly warned TSC against interdicting teachers who have absconded duties due to insecurity or denying them salaries. He , instead, called for their transfers to safer areas.
Some of the MPs proposed that schools be built near police stations, but Ms Macharia said it is not a solution.
During committee hearings about the situation, Mandera South MP Abdhul Haro said withdrawing non-local teachers would be unfair to thousands of North Eastern students.
TSC chief executive Nancy Macharia warned against the transfers, saying, it would open a floodgate of similar requests.
However, she urged those seeking transfers to apply afresh and attach documents proving insecurity threats.
Angry teachers from different schools in North Eastern region protest while demanding transfers outside the Teachers Service Commission head office in Upper Hill, Nairobi, in August 2023.
Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group
TSC director of staffing Rita Wahome said the challenges in Wajir, Mandera and Garissa counties began in 2014 when suspected terrorists began attacking non-locals. In total, 3227 non-local teachers are currently working in the three counties, according to TSC staffing data.
In Mandera County, 1,387 local teachers are teaching in primary, junior secondary and senior secondary schools. Of these, 889 are non-locals. In Wajir, 1,002 teachers are locals and 1,221 are non-locals whereas Garissa has 808 locals and 1,136 non-locals.
Kenya National Union of Teachers Secretary-General Collins Oyuu said the State should come up with a strategy to hire more local teachers in North Eastern.
“Security threats are real, the State should not take chances with the lives of Kenyans,” he said.
