The abolishment of the Teachers Service Commission’s (TSC) delocalization by President William Ruto’s administration has given optimism to heads of institutions that they will be finally back in their home counties soon.
However, despite the abolishment, it will take longer for heads of institutions across the country to be transferred back to their home counties.
The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) has implored more than 10,000 teachers to practice patience while their employer works on their re-routing.
“In our collective bargaining agreement, we told TSC to repeal the delocalization policy, and the working environment of the teacher should be one that the professional feels comfortable in to maximize productivity. Families must be brought as close as possible,” said KNUT’s secretary general Collins Oyuu.
According to the KNUT sec-gen, there are obstacles to be overcome despite the abolishment of the delocalization policy.
“If there is no vacancy where you came from, it will be difficult for TSC to take you back. We are moving very fast to have our heads who were delocalized accommodated back in their former sub-counties or counties,” said Oyuu.
Oyuu said this while he addressed teachers during the Kenya Primary Schools Headteachers Association (KEPSHA) conference held at the Shiekh Khalifa Bin Zayed Primary School in Mombasa.
He revealed that more than 1,000 headteachers had been affected by transfers due to the policy. According to him, this was ‘a death in silence’ on the part of the affected teachers.
The headteachers under the leadership of KPESHA Chairperson Johnson Nzioka had called for the abolishment of the delocalization policy.
The Chairperson of the National Assembly Committee on Education Julius Melly confirmed that they will not oppose the abolishment of the delocalization policy.
Mr Melly said that even though the Teachers Service Code states that teachers may work in the country, they should not be forced to do so.
The politician is a former teacher and he called on county governments to equip teachers with a conducive working environment in areas of hardship, especially in North Eastern region.
“In hardship areas, we talked about affirmative action. In the last Parliament, we talked to TSC to promote even diploma teachers in leadership positions so that we retain them there, said Melly.
On his part, Nicholas Mutai the head teacher of AIC Tinderet Primary School said that his family was affected by the policy when his wife was transferred from their home county.
“My wife was transferred from Nandi to Kericho,” revealed Mutai.
Mutai could not wait until the new year when hopefully his wife will be returned to him through the re-routing and swapping.