The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) is facing criticism from secondary school heads over the alleged mass transfer of teachers from Turkana County to Baringo County without providing replacements.
Speaking to the media on Saturday, February 8, Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association (KESSHA) Secretary Michael Ejikon strongly condemned the move, claiming that TSC had transferred over 47 teachers from various schools in Turkana without deploying new ones to fill the vacancies.
Ejikon argued that the Commission had knowingly violated the law by depriving children from marginalized communities of their right to education, which is a key responsibility of the government.
His concerns were echoed by the Kenya Union of Post Primary School Teachers (KUPPET) representative in Turkana, Areman Simon, who also accused TSC of neglecting education in the region.
Areman cited a case where nearly all teachers from one school were transferred, leaving the institution without instructors, which severely disrupted learning.
Areman further alleged that despite some teachers refusing the transfers, TSC forced them to move against their will.
“You cannot remove five teachers from one school at once; that is unfair to the students of Turkana County. Who will teach them if you take away all their teachers?” he posed.
He also criticized the Commission for transferring teachers who had not requested a transfer. “We even have a case where a teacher was relocated despite declining the transfer. That is unacceptable,” he stated.
This is not the first time education stakeholders have raised concerns about teacher shortages in secondary schools.
Despite the government’s earlier commitment to recruit 20,000 additional teachers in January, the crisis continues to persist, leaving many schools understaffed.
The shortage of teachers has led to overcrowded classrooms, longer teaching hours, and a lack of subject specialists in critical areas.
In October last year, TSC CEO Nancy Macharia admitted that while there are over 400,000 unemployed teachers in the country, the Commission has struggled to find qualified science teachers. She noted that many schools are still understaffed in science subjects, making it difficult to fully implement recruitment plans.
Education stakeholders are now calling on TSC and the government to address the ongoing teacher shortage and ensure equitable distribution of teaching staff across all regions, particularly in marginalized areas like Turkana.
Join Gen z and millennials TaskForce official 2025 WhatsApp Channel To Stay Updated On time the ongoing situation https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaWT5gSGufImU8R0DO30
