The Teachers Service Commission on September 5 handed show cause letters to 17 tutors from Nyamira County who, in the company of union officials, set ablaze appraisal forms last week. The commission had vowed to take action on September 3, saying the teachers brought ridicule to the profession.
NANCY MACHARIA
The letters, written and signed by Ms Rita Wahome on behalf of chief executive officer Nancy Macharia, reprimand the tutors for burning the forms, terming the act as “incompatible with the teaching profession and contrary to regulation 140(f) of the code of regulation of teachers”.
Ms Macharia told the tutors to explain why disciplinary action should not be taken against them. “The purpose of this letter is to ask you to show cause why disciplinary action should not be taken against you for professional misconduct,” the letter read.
Ms Macharia said the commission had established that the affected teachers had attended the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) annual general meeting held at Metamaywa market in Masaba North Sub-County on August 29, 2018, where the offence was committed.
DISCIPLINARY ACTION
On September 3, TSC communication boss Kihumba Kimotho said the teachers had erred and disciplinary action would be taken against them. “TSC will ensure that the teachers are brought to book and made to take both professional and criminal responsibility,” Mr Kimotho said. Knut secretary-general Wilson Sossion had asked teachers countrywide not to fill the teacher performance appraisal and development forms until the issue is resolved in a meeting between the union and TSC on September 30. Knut officials in Nyamira said they are yet to get full details of how many teachers are affected.