At least eight thousand primary school teachers have been affected by transfers after Teachers Service Commission (TSC) launched staff balancing exercise.

The Commission in an internal memo directed the County and Sub County Directors to carry out teacher balancing in schools and complete the matrix by February.

The staff balancing exercise comes after TSC CEO Dr. Nancy Macharia revealed that primary school teachers have an excess of 18,057 teachers after scrapping of two classes following introduction of the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC).

TSC is also anticipating to post new teachers to schools in February and March this year.

The teachers are a replacement for 8,707 teachers who exited the Commission through natural attrition.

TSC advertised 5,862 posts for primary schools, 21 posts for junior schools and 2,824 posts for secondary schools in the replacements.

Currently TSC is concluding documents verification for the teachers before it can post them to schools.

List of documents required for verification for primary school teachers

1) National identification card;

2) Certificate of Registration as a teacher;

3) Evidence of the completion of Upgrade Diploma in Primary Teacher Education or UDPTE Certificate where applicable.

4) PTE Certificate;

5) KCSE certificates or its equivalent (include certificates for attempts if one resat exam);

6) KCPE certificate or it’s equivalent (include certificates for attempts if one resat exam);

7) Letter of Certification of results by KNEC (where applicable);

8) Primary and Secondary School leaving certificates and other relevant testimonials;

9) National Council of Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD) Card (where applicable);

10) An Affidavit sworn under the Oaths and Statutory Declarations Act, Cap 15 of the Laws of Kenya to explain the variance in names.

List of documents required for verification for post primary school teachers

a) National identification card;

b) Certificate of Registration as a teacher;

c) Diploma/Degree certificate and official transcripts;

d) KCSE certificates or its equivalent (include certificates for attempts if one re-sat exams);

e) KCPE certificate or its equivalent (include certificates for attempts if one re-sat exams);

f) Primary and Secondary School leaving certificates and other relevant testimonials;

g) National Council of Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD) Card (where applicable);

h) An Affidavit sworn under the Oaths and Statutory Declarations Act, Cap 15 of the Laws of Kenya to explain the variance in names;

i) Letter of certification of results by KNEC (where applicable).

However serving intern teachers are only required to present their identity cards during the
verification process.

In December TSC released transfer letters for delocalized teachers. Teachers were required to check for their transfer letters at the TSC County Directors offices.

Summary of 14,613 January 2025 teacher transfers

⚛️ Primary schools transfers – 10,934 (189 deputies, 1948 headteachers)
⚛️ Secondary school transfers – 1,316 (226 principals)
⚛️ 12,019 transfers to be handled at regional level
⚛️ 2,594 inter regional transfers to be conducted at the TSC headquarters

TSC transfer panels approved the teacher transfers in December immediately after the national exams ended.

In a statement the Commission said it suspended transfers for delocalized teachers in the months of April and August.

TSC said the approval of delocalized teachers transfers will be done only once in a year unlike in the previous years.

The TSC transfer boards approved the teachers online transfer applications in December before the teachers are issued with their transfer letters.

The Commission says it made the decision to minimize disruptions with schooling activities and national exams.

The teacher delocalization program was a policy initiated by TSC that saw teachers being posted to work in schools outside their home counties.

The first casuality of the policy were classroom teachers who were first recruited and posted to far away counties in 2016. This was then followed by practicing headteachers and principals.

However the program was quashed by the Kenya Kwanza government and on 25th January 2023, the National Assembly Speaker, Moses Wetang’ula, ruled that the delocalization policy is illegal as it lacked parliamentary approval.

TSC gave in by revoking the policy and started to transfer the teachers back to their home counties.

At regional level teachers are moved from one county to another county within same region. TSC Regional Directors are in charge of such transfers.

TSC transfer boards at national level are responsible for approving transfers for teachers seeking to be moved to counties outside their stationed regions.

The commission transfer policy ensures that the station a teacher is leaving has a suitable replacement and that there is a vacancy in the preferred station before effecting a transfer request.

Before a teacher is transferred TSC ensures that there are suitable vacancies, replacements and a balance of staff before the transfer is approved.

Former Education CS Mr Ezekiel Machogu when he appeared in Parliament in June noted that TSC, in the exercise of its mandate to transfer and post teachers, it has “to ensure equitable distribution and optimal utilisation of teachers in all public basic education institutions to ensure that learners throughout the country have access to quality education as required by Article 43 of the Constitution.”

“Teachers who wish to be considered for transfer from one institution to another must submit a request. The transfer of teachers from one institution to another will be guided by the need for equitable distribution and optimum utilisation of teachers,” the CS said.

Other transfer criteria include the availability of vacancies in the proposed station, the need for replacement, existing staffing norms, medical reasons or other reasons that the TSC may consider.

TERMS RELATED TO TSC ONLINE TRANSFER YOU SHOULD KNOW

Pending: This is displayed once the teacher’s application is successfully delivered awaiting remarks from respective supervisors.

Acknowledged: This is displayed if the teacher is eligible for transfer and awaiting the availability of vacancy and or the teacher’s suitable replacement.

Not Approved: This is same as when the teacher’s request is regretted. This is applicable if the teacher has not met conditions set as per the transfer policy for example having not served in the current station for a period of not less than five years since first appointment, lack of suitable replacement or vacancy.

Approved: This is displayed after the transfer committee approves the teachers transfer request. The teachers transfer letter is then issued through the Principal in the case of post primary institutions and through the County Director in the case of primary school.

NOTE When a transfer request is withdrawn it simply means it was not successful or was successful and a new one can now be placed.

At least eight thousand primary school teachers have been affected by transfers after Teachers Service Commission (TSC) launched staff balancing exercise.

The Commission in an internal memo directed the County and Sub County Directors to carry out teacher balancing in schools and complete the matrix by February.

The staff balancing exercise comes after TSC CEO Dr. Nancy Macharia revealed that primary school teachers have an excess of 18,057 teachers after scrapping of two classes following introduction of the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC).

TSC is also anticipating to post new teachers to schools in February and March this year.

The teachers are a replacement for 8,707 teachers who exited the Commission through natural attrition.

TSC advertised 5,862 posts for primary schools, 21 posts for junior schools and 2,824 posts for secondary schools in the replacements.

Currently TSC is concluding documents verification for the teachers before it can post them to schools.

List of documents required for verification for primary school teachers

1) National identification card;

2) Certificate of Registration as a teacher;

3) Evidence of the completion of Upgrade Diploma in Primary Teacher Education or UDPTE Certificate where applicable.

4) PTE Certificate;

5) KCSE certificates or its equivalent (include certificates for attempts if one resat exam);

6) KCPE certificate or it’s equivalent (include certificates for attempts if one resat exam);

7) Letter of Certification of results by KNEC (where applicable);

8) Primary and Secondary School leaving certificates and other relevant testimonials;

9) National Council of Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD) Card (where applicable);

10) An Affidavit sworn under the Oaths and Statutory Declarations Act, Cap 15 of the Laws of Kenya to explain the variance in names.

List of documents required for verification for post primary school teachers

a) National identification card;

b) Certificate of Registration as a teacher;

c) Diploma/Degree certificate and official transcripts;

d) KCSE certificates or its equivalent (include certificates for attempts if one re-sat exams);

e) KCPE certificate or its equivalent (include certificates for attempts if one re-sat exams);

f) Primary and Secondary School leaving certificates and other relevant testimonials;

g) National Council of Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD) Card (where applicable);

h) An Affidavit sworn under the Oaths and Statutory Declarations Act, Cap 15 of the Laws of Kenya to explain the variance in names;

i) Letter of certification of results by KNEC (where applicable).

However serving intern teachers are only required to present their identity cards during the
verification process.

In December TSC released transfer letters for delocalized teachers. Teachers were required to check for their transfer letters at the TSC County Directors offices.

Summary of 14,613 January 2025 teacher transfers

⚛️ Primary schools transfers – 10,934 (189 deputies, 1948 headteachers)
⚛️ Secondary school transfers – 1,316 (226 principals)
⚛️ 12,019 transfers to be handled at regional level
⚛️ 2,594 inter regional transfers to be conducted at the TSC headquarters

TSC transfer panels approved the teacher transfers in December immediately after the national exams ended.

In a statement the Commission said it suspended transfers for delocalized teachers in the months of April and August.

TSC said the approval of delocalized teachers transfers will be done only once in a year unlike in the previous years.

The TSC transfer boards approved the teachers online transfer applications in December before the teachers are issued with their transfer letters.

The Commission says it made the decision to minimize disruptions with schooling activities and national exams.

The teacher delocalization program was a policy initiated by TSC that saw teachers being posted to work in schools outside their home counties.

The first casuality of the policy were classroom teachers who were first recruited and posted to far away counties in 2016. This was then followed by practicing headteachers and principals.

However the program was quashed by the Kenya Kwanza government and on 25th January 2023, the National Assembly Speaker, Moses Wetang’ula, ruled that the delocalization policy is illegal as it lacked parliamentary approval.

TSC gave in by revoking the policy and started to transfer the teachers back to their home counties.

At regional level teachers are moved from one county to another county within same region. TSC Regional Directors are in charge of such transfers.

TSC transfer boards at national level are responsible for approving transfers for teachers seeking to be moved to counties outside their stationed regions.

The commission transfer policy ensures that the station a teacher is leaving has a suitable replacement and that there is a vacancy in the preferred station before effecting a transfer request.

Before a teacher is transferred TSC ensures that there are suitable vacancies, replacements and a balance of staff before the transfer is approved.

Former Education CS Mr Ezekiel Machogu when he appeared in Parliament in June noted that TSC, in the exercise of its mandate to transfer and post teachers, it has “to ensure equitable distribution and optimal utilisation of teachers in all public basic education institutions to ensure that learners throughout the country have access to quality education as required by Article 43 of the Constitution.”

“Teachers who wish to be considered for transfer from one institution to another must submit a request. The transfer of teachers from one institution to another will be guided by the need for equitable distribution and optimum utilisation of teachers,” the CS said.

Other transfer criteria include the availability of vacancies in the proposed station, the need for replacement, existing staffing norms, medical reasons or other reasons that the TSC may consider.

TERMS RELATED TO TSC ONLINE TRANSFER YOU SHOULD KNOW

Pending: This is displayed once the teacher’s application is successfully delivered awaiting remarks from respective supervisors.

Acknowledged: This is displayed if the teacher is eligible for transfer and awaiting the availability of vacancy and or the teacher’s suitable replacement.

Not Approved: This is same as when the teacher’s request is regretted. This is applicable if the teacher has not met conditions set as per the transfer policy for example having not served in the current station for a period of not less than five years since first appointment, lack of suitable replacement or vacancy.

Approved: This is displayed after the transfer committee approves the teachers transfer request. The teachers transfer letter is then issued through the Principal in the case of post primary institutions and through the County Director in the case of primary school.

NOTE When a transfer request is withdrawn it simply means it was not successful or was successful and a new one can now be placed.