Registration of about 110,000 nursery school teachers starts

Peter Munya, the chairman of the Council of Governors and governor of Meru, in the county on January 19, 2017. PHOTO | PHOEBE OKALL | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • This is in response to a High Court order in December that the commission should have all teachers listed under it.

  • This ended a two-year standoff between governors and trade union officials.

  • On Tuesday, the Council of Governors said a team made up of county education executives, the commission and the national government would develop a scheme of service for the teachers.

Registration of about 110,000 nursery school teachers hired by counties under the Teachers Service Commission has started after governors and the employer signed an agreement.

This is in response to a High Court order in December that the commission should have all teachers listed under it. This ended a two-year standoff between governors and trade union officials.

The Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) told the court in 2014 that it was opposed to governors employing the teachers. It said only the commission should employ teachers.

On Tuesday, the Council of Governors said a team made up of county education executives, the commission and the national government would develop a scheme of service for the teachers.

A statement by the council said the Teachers Service Commission has offered to help county governments to develop a scheme of service.

The team will review the scheme of service developed by the commission.

“Also in the team is the Commission on Revenue Allocation, Salaries and Remuneration Commission, Controller of Budget, county public service boards and the National Treasury,” said the statement.

Governors are responsible for managing childcare and pre-primary education.

Justice Edward Muriithi said the regional governments or county education boards had no power to register trained teachers. That responsibility belonged to the Teachers Service Commission.

“County governments have the specific mandate in all aspect of pre-primary education save for registration of teachers,” Justice Muriithi ruled.

He added that nursery school teachers recruited by county governments would be required to regularise their appointment.

During the court hearings, the High Court temporary halted the county governments’ hiring of nursery school teachers.