The National Assembly yesterday October 25,2022 was expected to review the contentious teacher delocalization policy through a motion which was moved by Lurambi Member of Parliament(MP) Hon.Titus Khamala.

The motion which was listed in order of business of the first session of the 13th Parliament of the National Assembly which has just resumed, was expected to reverse the ongoing delocalization of teachers by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC).

“This House resolves that the Teachers Service Commission immediately reverses the ongoing delocalization of teachers and initiates a comprehensive review of the teacher deployment policy with the involvement of teachers in order to make the policy consistent with International Labour Organization (ILO)and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)laws and practices on teacher management and deployment,”stated Hon. Khamala in the order paper.

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According to the MP,a conducive working environment for teachers enhances performance and that the delocalization of teachers which commenced in 2018 by TSC immensely disrupted teachers’ lives, lowered their morale and caused untold trauma to many teachers countrywide.

“The exercise was not supported with a clear policy framework and was initiated without the participation of teachers or their unions, contrary to Articles 118 and 132 of the Constitution on public participation and involvement of the people in the process of policy making,” he argued.

Hon.Khamala states that delocalization of teachers is inconsistent with the UNESCO teacher deployment practice,which treats education as a culture process conducted within a people’s cultural context at the local level.

Since the introduction of the delocalization policy, teachers’ unions namely: Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT)and Kenya Union of Post Primary Teachers (KUPPET) have criticized the policy and have repeatedly opposed it.

The unions argued that the implementation process of the policy was rushed, ignored issues of spousal proximity,age and health of some of the affected-factors which have informed previous deployment and transfers by the Commission.

The policy resulted in head teachers and principals of secondary schools being moved from schools in their Home Counties to other counties and regions which later targeted deputy principals who had served for long in the same station and those overdue for promotion in order to ensure a fair transition while continuing the programme.

Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha will suffer yet another blow after legislators failed to pass the Universities Amendment Bill, 2021 in which he was seeking control over tertiary institutions.

The national assembly also rejected the placement of government-sponsored students to private universities.

National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi faulted a report from the Education and Research Committee that gave the cs powers to appoint public university vice-chancellors and control decisions made by councils.

“Clauses giving powers to the CS to appoint VCs, revoke appointment of members of public universities and approve meetings raises questions of whether that will promote good governance. It is a matter the committee ought to have considered,” Mr Muturi said.

According to the legislators, giving the cs such sweeping powers violates the values and principles of governance as outlined in the Constitution.

The Universities Amendment Bill, 2021 sought to allow the CS to take “appropriate action in the public interest” to ensure proper governance in public universities.

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Since the bill was not passed, the CS will not have powers to revoke appointments, transfer and deploy members of councils, review or vacate council decisions and give approval to a council seeking to meet more than four times a year.

The lawmakers argued that the Florence Mutua-chaired committee ignored concerns raised by other MPs and allowed the changes to pass.

Mr Muturi said the team did not meet the threshold set by Parliament on the need for public participation.

In the reports tabled by the panel, the Speaker added, there was no indication on whether the committee invited vice-chancellors of the 52 chartered universities, including 32 public and 12 with letters of interim authority, to make presentations.

“There is no mention of the committee inviting and considering crucial input of stakeholders such as the Commission on University Education and existing universities fund boards,” he said.

An MP has accused cabinet secretary George Magoha for allegedly lying that the government is prepared for schools’ reopening during the covid pandemic.

Dhiwa MP, HON. Martin Owino, confirmed that his committee accused the CS of lying to parliament that all measures to ensure learning by form four, grade four and class eight learners had been put in place by the government and that the teaching / learning environment would be conducive.

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Just prior to the partial reopening of primary and secondary schools, Magoha told parliament that sanitizers, water points and additional desks were some of the government’s preparations for safe partial reopening of schools. The government would also disburse capitation fees to prevent learners from being sent for school fees

According to Owino’s research findings, teachers and learners in most Kenyan schools risk getting infected with covid-19 due to inadequate preparations by the ministry of education.

“A lot of risks of contracting covid-19 still lurk in schools and that is why many students have been infected,” Owino said.

Owino was addressing Ratanga residents ahead of distributing lockers and chairs to the selected secondary schools within Dhiwa constituency.

He called the promises of MOE on learner safety a mirage, and informed the public that that the MOE has also failed to remit capitation fees to schools.

The eloquent MP felt that most parents got overburdened by the ministry’s lack of preparedness in reopening schools. “Many parents complain of financial challenges due to covid-19. Principals have told me they lack funds for running schools because the government has not released the capitation fees,” Owino added.

He assured parents, teachers and learners that parliament will solve amicably, the challenges being experienced by the education sector.

“We must summon Magoha because we are concerned by the health of teachers and pupils in our schools,” Owino assured the general public.