Rapist teachers face permanent work ban

Teachers who sexually abuse students will be banned from ever working in public or private schools.

The Teachers Service Commission which employs teachers in the public sector, said such teachers will also face court action.

“It will not matter, because there are no private children and all should be protected from these monsters. There will be no compromise,” said Mr Ibrahim Hussein, the TSC chair, a day after First Lady Lucy Kibaki criticised the umbrella teachers’ union for inaction on such offenders.

He said the commission would be sending out guidelines to education heads on how to deal with such teachers. One is normally interdicted, given a chance to defend themselves and sacked if found guilty.

The TSC chairman said although the problem is not alarming, there is concern that a lot of the cases are solved between the rapist and the victim’s family and only when they disagree does the issue come out in the public.

Mr Hussein spoke after presenting free nutritional supplements to the heads of 40 support groups for HIV positive teachers from all over the country who had gathered at the new TSC headquarters.

The commission acquired the 2,000 supplements at a cost of Sh2 million and the heads of the support groups will then distribute them to the individual teachers.

The TSC chairman asked teachers living with HIV and Aids to disclose their status to their employer, the Teachers Service Commission, to enable the government plan for their medical needs.

He said those who disclose their status would be issued with free anti-retroviral medicine and the supplements they need to boost their immunity.

HIV positive teachers who require ARVs are also supplied with free drugs by the National Aids Control Council, through the TSC.

Although the number of teachers publicly disclosing their positive status has increased significantly, a large number of them have kept to themselves, and are suffering in the process.

Deputy Director of the National Aids Control Council Dr Sobbie Mulindi said the body would soon be carrying out studies to establish the impact of HIV and Aids on the government’s work and especially on development.

“It is a matter of genuine and great concern for us at NACC,” said Dr Mulindi, who also encourage the teachers to apply for funding for Aids projects in their areas by writing proposals.

He commended the Kenya Network of HIV Positive Teachers (KENEPOTE) for bringing all infected teachers together and being the only group of civil servants to do so, adding that other classes of civil servants would be encouraged to do the same.

Mr Hussein said the number had grown from three teachers in 2003 to more than 5,000 today, who have come out openly and spoken about their status.

He said the commission would seek affirmative action for HIV teachers so as to have a significant number employed when the government is recruiting.

According to Jemimah Nindo, the treasurer of KENEPOTE, stigma remains the biggest impediment to having more teachers disclose their status. The free supply of the supplements is one of the ways the commission hopes can get more teachers talking about their status.

She pointed out as an example the fact that despite its large population, there were only two support groups from Central Province represented at Tuesday’s meeting.

In northern Kenya, the long distances and a lack of support from school heads was cited as the main factor behind the small number of teachers who have disclosed their status.

Ms Kabale Tache, a teacher at Marsabit Primary School, told the Nation she represents four districts- North Horr, Marsabit, Laisamis, Loiyangalani- yet has only managed to register 12 teachers over the five years since she declared her HIV status.