TSC Offices Shut Down Due to Protesting Teachers Calling for Transfers
More than 50 primary school teachers camped out Friday night outside the Tharaka Nithi County Teachers’ Service Commission (TSC) headquarters in Chuka town, where they have been demanding transfers to their home sub-counties since May 10.
Teachers from Tharaka North, Tharaka South, and Chiakariga sub-counties taught in Embu, Meru, and Kitui counties, but they sought to be relocated back to their native sub-counties when President William Ruto’s administration abolished the delocalisation policy.
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After submitting their transfer letters to the Tharaka Nithi County TSC office, they were informed that the only open vacancies are in the sub-counties of Igambang’ombe, Maara, and Chuka.
The teachers told the media on Tuesday morning that they would remain at the county TSC office until their demand was achieved. They staged protests against the office, which resulted in its closure.
According to a teacher from Tharaka North sub-county who works in Kitui County, there are numerous schools with as few as four teachers in Tharaka North, Tharaka South, and Chiakariga sub-counties, and their bosses are taking their buddies there because of hardship allowance.
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He stated that they have reliable information that teachers from other counties have utilized corruption to be reassigned to hardship regions, thereby disadvantage those who are actually from there.
“We applied to be transferred to schools near our homes for various reasons, and we will not accept being deployed in other counties,” he explained.
Mrs Jane Mwangi, of Tharaka South, who has been teaching in Meru County, stated that majority of the young teachers wanted transfers to schools closer to their homes so they could rejoin with their wives and start families.
She claims that the majority of the teachers’ marriages have failed because they are unable to travel home frequently enough to meet their wives due to their low salaries.
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She also stated that some of the teachers are transferring from low-income areas and have large loans that they will be unable to serve if they lose their hardship allowance.
“Someone like me, I am married, but I have never enjoyed married life because I have been working away from my spouse,” Mrs. Mwangi explained.
Mr Mutinda Muriungi, who works in Tigania East in Meru County, said the county TSC director refused to address them and that they would camp outside her office till she listened to their complaints.
Njeru Mutani, executive secretary of the Kenya National Union Teachers (Knut) Tharaka Nithi County chapter, and Ndia Gwatia, executive secretary of the Tharaka constituency, joined the teachers on Tuesday morning and asked that their demands be met.
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Mr Mutani, who is also a Knut national trustee, stated that the teachers have been working away from their homes for several years and must be brought closer to their families.
“Teachers are paid very little, and they cannot survive away from their homes, where they are forced to rent houses,” Mr Mutani explained.
Mr Gwatia chastised the county TSC office for sending teachers from other locations in Tharaka South, Tharaka North, and Chiakariga sub-counties, putting individuals who live in those areas at a disadvantage.
“Teachers from other sub-counties and even neighboring Meru and Embu counties are requesting to be taken to Tharaka South, Tharaka North, and Chiakariga sub-counties because of hardship allowances,” Mr Gwatia added.
Mr Gwatia stated that they had communicated with the county TSC director, Rosemary Sokotian, who is now out of the office, and that she had pledged to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.
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Attempts to contact the county’s deputy TSC director were futile.
TSC Offices Shut Down Due to Protesting Teachers Calling for Transfers
