The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has commenced the process of transferring non-local tutors in North Eastern Province, with those specifically working in Garissa being the first to benefit.
TSC said on Monday, February 3, it is still working on the transfers and a meeting will be held on Tuesday in a bid to discuss the way forward on the process.
However, TSC said the teachers from the region are still registering to be transferred and the Commission will follow the laid down procedures, which requires that only those who have applied be moved.
The move comes moments after hundreds of primary and secondary teachers working in the region, vowed to camp at TSC headquarters until they are granted transfers.
The tutors said yesterday the region risks running into a teaching crisis if TSC does not move with speed to address the situation.
One of the teachers, Emmanuel Maluki said he has taught in North Eastern since 2018 and has had to deal with various challenges including insecurity and the hostile local community.
“The stay there has not been welcoming for one, due to insecurity. When I went there I thought it would be a nice place but with frequent attacks that have been, especially insecurity really we cannot stay there anymore,” said Maluki.
He requested TSC to transfer them from what they described as a hostile region.
“We have made our request and hope it will go through. So far, we have been told to wait…for some of us, it is our second week here while others have been here for several weeks but there has still been no response,” added Maluki.
Adding: “The views we are getting from TSC is that will be transferred but we still do not know when this will happen but we are positive and hope teachers wish will be received.”
Maluki, who is currently teaching in Wajir said the fact that Garissa has had insecurity incidences does not mean that it cannot get to them, adding that they have to pass through the latter on the way to their work stations.
He was questioned the fact that only non-local workers are constantly being killed and are forced to live in fear, as they wonder who is next.
The teachers said much their details were taken yesterday, they are still to get conclusive feedback from TSC other than the promise to be granted compassionate leave.
Last month, another group comprising hundreds of non-local teachers working in Fafi, Holugho, Ijara and Dadaab flocked to offices to seek urgent transfers.
The Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) Secretary-General, Akelo Misori urged TSC to rotate teachers from the region every two years as opposed to the regulation requiring newly employed to work in their first stations for at least five years.
The rotation policy said the union should be modified in respect to Garissa, Wajir, Mandera, Tana River and Lamu counties to reduce their being easy targets.
“Judging from the number of cases reported and information from our members on the ground, the terrorists have become increasingly emboldened in recent months. Teachers, being unarmed, are soft targets for terrorists as demonstrated in Kamuthe. Our members who survived the attacks have recounted traumatic experiences hiding from terrorists for nights on end,” said Misori last month.
Kuppet also called for the deployment of at least two police officers in each public school in the region to provide full-time security for teachers and also station a sufficient number of military personnel to settlements with non-local teachers.
