The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) will start to effect transfer requests for teachers who are aged fifty years and above in a move geared towards ending delocalization.
The transfers will be effected and released in January 2023 after the TSC board sits and approve the online teacher transfer requests.
The Commission will act on the transfer requests after teachers are through with administration and marking of the 2022 national exams and assessments.
However details start to indicate that the Commission will give priority to teachers who are aged and nearing their retirement.
This was hinted yesterday Wednesday by the Deputy President, Rigathi Gachangua, who also said the transfers will be inline with the Kenya Kwanza manifesto and its Education Charter.
Gachagua who spoke during the launch of the induction of the 49-member working party in Karen said the Ruto administration is for a strong family unit to keep families together.
The 49-member team was appointed to submit recommendations to spearhead a review 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 that has destroyed families. The Ruto administration is for a strong family unit to keep families together especially more so those teachers who are headed for retirement. We want to assist them to prepare for retirement,” said Gachagua.
The DP said they will meet TSC next week to have a discussion that will see teachers who were delocalized being transferred 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 situation that matter is addressed so that we build strong family ties for a stronger nation,” said the DP.
In July 2021 in a move to entice teachers and respond to protests by teachers who opposed delocalization, TSC in a circular outlining the CBA 2021 – 2025 benefits allowed 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 suitable replacement, existing staffing norms and proof of marriage among other factors,” read the CBA document.
However TSC had put the condition that the married couples must be both teachers and will only be transferred subject to availability of vacancies.
The issue of teacher delocalization destroying families and endangering teachers lives was also raised two weeks ago when TSC Commissioners embark on a countrywide collection of views from stakeholders in the teaching service in a bid to steer service re-engineering.
In a circular dated June 16th, 2022 signed by the Director of Administrative Services Ibrahim Mumin, the Commission had asked all Regional and County Directors to collect information from staff in all sub-counties, key stakeholders and teachers within their jurisdiction on how the Commission can improve its service delivery on its functions and critical business.
The Circular, which was also copied to the Commission Secretary and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr. Nancy Macharia, gave the TSC Regional and County Directors up to June 29th, 2022 to complete the exercise.
Most teachers requested the Commission to transfer them back home saying the delocalization only killed their morale for teaching.
TSC introduced the delocalization policy five years ago saying it will enhance national cohesion.
However the programme has received backlash from teachers and their unions who are now calling for its abolishment.