The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) is set to allow transfer requests for teachers aged fifty years and above in a move geared towards ending delocalization.
The transfers of teachers aged in their fifties are set to be effected and released in January 223 after the TSC board sits and approved online teacher transfer requests.
The Commission will act on the transfer requests once the teachers are through with administration and marking of the 2022 national examinations and assessments.
However, it has been revealed that the Commission will prioritize teachers who are aged and are almost retiring.
This information was hinted at by Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua who said that the transfers will follow the Kenya Kwanza Manifesto and its Education Charter.
Gachagua was speaking at an event where the induction of a 49-member working party in Karen took place. He said that President Ruto’s administration is meant to promote a strong family unit to keep families together.
The 49-member team was appointed to provide recommendations regarding reviewing of the education sector.
“We had our plan, our manifesto, our education charter there are several things that we promised teachers. The issue of delocalization has destroyed families. The Ruto administration is for a strong family unit to keep families together, especially those teachers who are headed for retirement. We want to assist them to prepare for retirement,” said Rigathi Gachagua.
According to the DP, the government will meet with the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) in the coming week to have a discussion that could return teachers who were delocalized back to their home counties.
“We will be engaging with TSC next week so that the issue of delocalization is dealt with once and for all and teachers who are taken to places and their families put in awkward situations that matter is addressed so that we build strong family ties for a stronger nation,” said the DP.
In July last year, in a bid to entice teachers and respond to protests by teachers who were not in support of delocalization, TSC released circular informing teachers outlining the CBA 2021-2025’s benefits to teachers to transfer to their spouses.
“However, to achieve the family values enshrined in the Constitution, the Commission shall consider transfer requests for married couples to appropriate stations/locations subject to availability of vacancies, the need for a suitable replacement, existing staffing norms and proof of marriage among other factors,” read part of the CBC document.
However, the Commission agreed to this on grounds of the married couples being both teachers and will only be transferred subject to the availability of vacancies.
Following complaints that TSC’s delocalization had destroyed families and endangered teachers’ lives, the Commission embarked on a countrywide collection of views from stakeholders in the teaching service in a bid to steer service re-engineering.
The Commission did this through a 16th of June circular whereby they directed all Regional and County Directors of Education to collect information from staff in all sub-counties teachers and other key stakeholders within their jurisdiction on how the Commission can improve its service delivery on its functions and critical business.
The Circular was copied to the Commission Secretary and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr Nancy Macharia allowing the TSC Regional and County Directors up to June 29th 2022 to complete the exercise.
The delocalization policy was introduced by the Commission five years ago with the view of enhancing national cohesion.
However, the programme was strongly opposed by teachers and their unions who are calling for it to be abolished.