The Teachers Service Commission(TSC)will suspend teacher transfers and leaves to allow planning and administration of 2023 national exams.

Currently planning is ongoing on how teachers will invigilate and supervise the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE),Kenya Primary School Education Assessment(KPSEA)and Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE).

Around 1,415,315 candidates will sit for KCPE exam, while another 903,260 will take the KCSE test. A total of 1.282,574 Grade Six learners will also sit for KPSEA.

TSC will however resume mass transfer of teachers for teachers with suitable replacements in December this year.

Last month Education Cabinet Ezekiel Machogu revealed that some 26,871 teachers are yet to be transferred back to their home counties due to a lack of suitable placements.

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As of June 30,some 46,926 primary and secondary school teachers had requested to be transferred back to their home counties, but only 20,055 were transferred back.

Appearing before the Senate, Mr Machogu said the TSC will ensure that the station the teacher is leaving has a suitable replacement and that the station to which the teacher has applied for transfer has a vacancy.

This will enable the commission to ensure equitable distribution and optimal utilization of teachers across the country for the benefit of all learners. The transfer policy has already been

reversed. It is no longer in place,” he said in response to a question from Nandi Senator Samson Cherargey on the status of the delocalisation policy.

Mr Machogu 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 th Constitution”.

The CS said TSC had introduced delocalisation-in which teachers were transferred to schools outside their place of origin-to promote national cohesion and integration, prevent conflict of interest in the management of schools and address teacher shortages in some parts of the country.

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 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.

The CS said once a teacher applies for a transfer to a county of his or her choice, it is the responsibility of TSC to ensure that there are suitable vacancies, replacements and a balance of staff across the country before the transfer is approved.

This is to discourage mass evacuation of teachers from one station to another, which can have the effect of disrupting learning in an institution to the detriment of learners,” he explained.

Mr Machogu said the commission was considering transfer requests in a systematic and coordinated manner. He added that lack of suitable replacements is a major challenge, especially in the case of principals.

At the primary level, TSC has received 35,959 applications from teachers seeking transfer, but only 17,942 have been transferred, with 18,017 still waiting due to lack of suitable replacements. In post-primary 10,967 teachers have applied for transfer, but only 2,113 have been transferred.

The Commission has declined to transfer non-local teachers working in North Eastern despite their protests.

In regret letters to the teachers, the TSC said it cannot transfer the teachers due to a lack of suitable replacements.

The teachers who received their regret letter from TSC confirmed that their employer directed that they report to their workstations by September 9 or face disciplinary action.

Affected teachers have been camping at the TSC headquarters in Upper Hill for the last two weeks seeking transfers from Wajir, Garissa and Mandera Counties.

“Your request for transfer out of North Eastern region is acknowledged by TSC. However, due to the lack of a suitable replacement, your request is hereby declined,” TSC said in a regret letter to one of the teachers.

You are therefore directed to report to your workstation by September 7,2023,failure to which disciplinary action shall be preferred against you.”

It is now clear that the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) will start effecting transfer requests for teachers aged fifty years and above in a move targeting to end teacher delocalization.

The TSC board will sit and approve the online teacher transfer requests January 2023. Once approved, the transfers will be released immediately.

The Commission is expected to work on the transfer requests once teachers are through with administration and marking of the 2022 KPSEA, KCPE and KCSE.

Sources have however revealed that TSC will give priority to aged teachers, who are nearing their retirement.

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This has even been hinted by the Deputy President, Rigathi Gachangua, who confirmed that the transfers will be in line with the manifesto and Education Charter of Kenya Kwanza.

Speaking during the launch of the induction of the 49-member working party, Gachagua said that the Ruto administration advocates for a strong family unit which will  keep families together rather than break them.

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 revealed that they will meet TSC this 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 Gachagua last week.

In July 2021, 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.

It’s a great relief for the over 340,000 teachers since the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has expressed will to reviewed some of the contentious issues on teachers’ transfers in the current ongoing transfer exercise the review is meant for staff balancing in schools across the country.

Under the new rules, for the first time under teacher transfer process, teachers who have served in a station for a period of not less than three (3) years since first appointment will be eligible for transfer. Initially, a teacher would only be eligible after serving for at least 5 years.

Details of the letter sent to the Commission’s field officers show that this new will not be applicable to teachers in North Eastern areas. This implies that they will have to serve for five years since their first appointment.

“The teacher must have served in a station for a period of not less than three (3) years and five (5) years for North Eastern and other areas respectively since first appointment; unless otherwise authorized by the Commission’s Secretary,” reads the letter.

The transfer policy, popularly known as the delocalization policy, was introduced by the TSC in January 2018 to make teachers work outside their home counties, with massive transfers being witnessed in April and August of the same year.

During the current transfer exercise, the Commission will consider family matters and transfer couples who have formally declared their marital status to the same neighbourhood if possible.

Previously, the transfer policy hurt many families since married teachers were transferred to far flung areas, away from their spouses and children.

Teachers read signs of relief when the 2021-2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) was signed in July 13, 2021. Through the CBA, the delocalization policy was reconsidered and reviewed to allow married couples have a chance to be re-united with their families.

“In promotion of family values provided for under Article 45 of the Constitution of Kenya, the Commission shall consider transfer requests for married couples to appropriate stations/locations,” reads the CBA in part.

This implies that the Commission will transfer teacher couples to schools near each other though it will be subject to availability of vacancies in the proposed station, the need for a suitable replacement, need for equitable distribution and optimal utilization of teachers, existing staffing norms and proof of marriage.

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The circular further advised the Commission’s Regional officials to ensure they first conduct staff balancing within the sub counties before transferring teachers outside their jurisdiction. The officials were further directed to give priority to teachers who have individually applied for transfer and are eligible for transfer.

TSC County Directors were given until May 4, 2022 to submit their reports on how the exercise was conducted complete with the list of the affected teachers.

Teachers with proven cases of terminal illness and those who are 56 years and above will also be exempted from transfers out of their current Sub-County of work which was the case before.

However, the Commission directed the committees vetting the transfers to ensure that the cadre of teachers suffering from terminal illness and those with disabilities produce valid documents of their illness or disability where applicable in order to enjoy the exemption.

In case the teachers meet the criteria for transfer, the Commission will consider ‘First in, first out factor’, gender balance and teacher’s security where applicable.

Following the recent cases of Fires in Nyanza region, TSC has embarked on mass transfer and reshuffling of teachers in the region. Among the most affected schools is Maranda high school, which has recorded the highest number of teacher transfers and reshuffled in teaching staff.

Mr Stephen Adongo, Deputy principal, in-charge of administration and finance has been transferred to Kanga Boys in the same capacity.

Mr George Ogola Anyango from Kanga takes over as the new deputy in-charge of administration and finance at Maranda.

Mr Raphael Otieno, director of studies at the school has been transferred to Kisumu Boys. He was earlier transferred to Ahero girls’ high school before his transfer was rerouted.

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Maranda’s head of physics Peter Ochieng takes over from Otieno as the Director of studies.

Its reported that all those teachers affected by the changes had been cleared and released by their respective principals

It has been established that with the many uncertainties at Maranda ,more teachers may be served with transfer letters in the near future.

Speculation is rife that the school’s deputy in charge of academics and principal Edwin Namachanja will also be transferred.

Namachanja took over four years ago from Boaz Owino who in 2011 led Maranda in topping the country in the KCSE examinations.

Last Year, a team of auditors from the Ministry of Education camped at the school for days. They combed through financial records relating to tenders and information on creditors.

A source at the school said, teachers and other non-teaching staff are unhappy with the changes effected so far.

“Guys want all those at the top transferred. They also want the board replaced. We feel some of the guys at the top of administration are being protected by education officials in the county,” the source said.

Anyango and Adongo, the two deputy principals who were affected by the transfers, are both chemistry and maths teachers.

“Both teachers have been long serving deputies in job group D2 with same teaching combinations,” the source said.

The changes come as the trial of three students from Maranda begun at Bondo law court on Tuesday.

The school’s principal, two teachers and a security guard were among the prosecution witnesses that testified on Tuesday before principal magistrate John Nandi.

The prosecution side is expected to close their case this week.

The three suspects were arrested on December 6 following a fire incident that razed down the top floor of Boaz Owino complex on the morning of December 5.

Maranda had reported another fire incident on November 7 forcing the school to close indefinitely.

From the arson incident, 178 students lost their property after fire consumed Ogango dormitory.

Six students were arrested in connection to the incident, they were later released after detectives probing the matter failed to get evidence linking them to the arson.

With teacher’s service commission determined to make services purely digital, teacher transfers are among the services to pioneer this long-awaited innovation.

Currently, teacher transfer applications and approvals are done online. TSC resorted to this after a study found that teachers undergo a lot in their attempts to get transferred. From difficult to deal with school heads to lots of cash to submit the transfer forms in time, most teachers could give up along the way, yet it is their right to be transferred after meeting the minimum conditions of transfer as prescribe by TSC.

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Digital transfer approvals, just like in the paper age, are done by the head of institution through a positive recommendation. In case a teacher wants to transfer to another county, then the TSC county director must also give a recommendation, in line with that given by the head of institution, after which the request is forwarded to TSC headquarters in Nairobi.

Procedure for online teacher transfer request approval

• Visit the TSC website using your browser. On the tabs at the top of the browser, click on the online services tab.
• A drop down menu appears with several services. Click HRMIS.
• From the drop down menu, select teacher transfer.
• A window appears that prompts you to enter your TSC number, ID number and mobile number. Enter correct details in the given spaces and click log in.
• A six digit authorization code will be sent through your mobile number. Enter the authorization code and click log in.
• You are now at the head of institution (HOI) portal. An incoming transfer will be displayed. Click action button to recommend the transfer and enter your comments.
• Click the submit button once through.

Nb. Sometimes, the head of institution gets transfer requests through the institution emails or HOI portal.