Duale criticises TSC for moving teachers out of Northeastern
What you need to know:
- The TSC, through a letter, directed non-local teachers from Wajir to make arrangements to report to their new stations immediately.
- But Mr Duale claimed that the directive by the commission was discriminatory and a violation of the students’ rights and residents who pay taxes to the government.
National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale has criticised the Teachers Service Commission’s decision to transfer non-local teachers from Northeastern to their home areas.
The TSC began transferring non-local teachers from Wajir County.
SHABAAB
This follows and Al-Shabaab attack on Qarsa Primary School on February 16, which resulted in the death of two teachers and the wife of one of the teachers.
The TSC, through a letter, directed non-local teachers from Wajir to make arrangements to report to their new stations immediately.
It gave the teachers 14 days to notify the education director of the county they were transferring to and already more than 100 teachers were reported to have transferred from the region.
“The county directors of those counties that you have been transferred to are requested to inform the headquarters of the date you report for duty so that your salary can be paid through the new station,” the TSC letter read in part.
The action by the teachers’ employer came amid outcry from teachers unions – Knut and Kuppet – calling on the government to withdraw all teachers from “unsafe counties” in Northeastern.
RIGHTS
But Mr Duale claimed that the directive by the commission was discriminatory and a violation of the students’ rights and residents who pay taxes to the government.
“You cannot purport to remove teachers from Northeastern Province as it is in Kenya. They pay taxes, contribute to the economy of Kenya and the leader of the majority comes from there.
“Next time you will remove doctors and the police. Why are we not removing army officers from Somalia yet we have lost many people? Even when over 100 of our children were killed in Garissa University, we did not withdraw teachers,” said Mr Duale in Nairobi on Saturday.
TRANSFERS
The Garissa Township MP claimed that the commission also transferred non-local teachers from safe areas that are as far as as 500 kilometres away from the border with Somalia.
Leaders from Northeastern including Senators Yusuf Haji (Garissa), Adan Noor (Wajir) and Mohamed Mohamud (Mandera) and MPs have protested against the transfers. They termed them “ill-advised”.
Mr Duale said Muslim leaders would seek audience with the commission on Monday to find a solution to the matter.
“You cannot discriminate against the students. We will not allow it and even the President of Kenya will not allow it. We want you to dialogue with the leadership of Northeastern and on Monday we are coming to your offices,” he said.
SECURITY
The majority leader said that security in the region is not a mandate of the TSC but the responsibility of Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i, Inspector-General of Police Joseph Boinnet, Northeastern Regional Coordinator Mohamud Saleh and security agencies.
“We have very strong security officers from there and since 2015 the place has been very peaceful. But when you say teachers to come out from there you are simply saying Al-Shabaab should take control of the schools there,” said Mr Duale.
He said Parliament would summon TSC commissioners to explain the transfers.
