KNUT protests transfer of Nairobi teachers, warns of ‘return of delocalisation’
He noted that learners would lose the mentorship of teachers who have guided them for years, especially at a critical time when candidates are preparing for national examinations.
The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) has demanded that the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) halt the transfer of teachers from Nairobi, saying the decision amounts to the return of the abolished delocalisation policy.
Nairobi branch chairperson Nyamai Kasina, addressing the media on Wednesday, stated that many teachers in the city have been served transfer letters to counties such as Kitui, a move he described as unfair and disruptive.
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He warned that reassigning experienced teachers from the capital risks destabilising learning and hurting exam preparation for thousands of students.
“Some have already received the delocalisation letters, and some have been left with three months. We knew the delocalisation of teachers was over, but it seems to have come back to Nairobi,” Kasina said.
Kasina stressed that the government had ended delocalisation and questioned why the transfers were being reintroduced in Nairobi.
He noted that learners would lose the mentorship of teachers who have guided them for years, especially at a critical time when candidates are preparing for national examinations.
The union’s Nairobi branch Secretary General, Macharia Mugo, joined in rejecting the transfers, saying the commission should focus on rewarding long-serving teachers rather than uprooting them.
“We demand that TSC immediately revoke the punitive letters and adhere to our government policy on delocalisation. The only concern is that instead of giving these teachers promotional letters, they put a condition,” Mugo said.
KNUT leaders in Nairobi said the TSC’s latest action shows disregard for the welfare of both teachers and learners in the capital. They argued that removing experienced educators only weakens the education system, rather than strengthening it.
The demands came a day after the union’s national leadership accused politicians of meddling in teachers’ recruitment and promotion. National chairperson Malel Lang’at alleged that political leaders were directly collecting employment letters from TSC offices and later handing them out in public forums.
“As a union, we are saying that teachers should be given priority and a chance to be employed without any bias that has been in place due to politics,” Lang’at said.
Lang’at urged the newly appointed TSC Chief Executive Officer, Evaleen Mitei, to bring transparency into teacher management and ensure that appointments and promotions are free from external interference.
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