- The Commission had in September interdicted 122 teachers posted in North Eastern after they declined to resume duties unless they were transferred from the volatile area.
- Gachagua while speaking on Wednesday at the 63rd Kenya National Union of Teachers National Delegates Conference at Kasarani Stadium said the teachers were only trying to protect their lives.
Image: DPCS
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has disagreed with the move by the Teachers Service Commission to lay off teachers from North Eastern Kenya who refused to resume duty over security concerns.
The Commission had in September interdicted 122 teachers posted in North Eastern after they declined to resume duties unless they were transferred from the volatile area.
Gachagua while speaking on Wednesday at the 63rd Kenya National Union of Teachers National Delegates Conference at Kasarani Stadium said the teachers were only trying to protect their lives.
" I told TSC not to try to sack them because you can not punish people who are running away to save their lives," Gachagua said.
The DP said the government has taken measures to ensure the region is secure for not only the teachers and learners but all the residents therein.
He said several security organs in the country are working together to ensure North Eastern is secure.
"Kindiki, National Police Service and all our security agents are doing what needs to be done so that our teachers and Kenyans at large are living in a secure environment," Gachagua said.
TSC boss Nancy Macharia when she appeared before the Senate Committee on Education on November 30 said the Commission was only aware of one insecurity incident that affected a teacher.
She said on July 14, 2023, a non-local teacher of Al-Irshad Integrated School, at Wargadud town, Mandera county, was killed by al Shabaab militia at Wargadud police station where he had sought refuge.
“Arising from the Wargadud incident, 223 teachers representing 6.9 per cent of non-local teachers (3,246 non-locals) in the region visited the commission's headquarters on August 28, 2023, requesting for transfer out of the region on allegations of insecurity,” Macharia said.
The TSC boss said upon assessing the facts on the ground, which indicated that it was an isolated case, the commissioners held a meeting with the teachers and requested them to report back to their workstations and make an application in the manner provided under the CORT.
Macharia insisted that the information from the ground showed there were no specific insecurity incidences in Garissa and Wajir counties.
To enable the teachers to settle in their workstations after the incident, the commission directed its three county directors in Northeastern and the regional director to work closely with other security agencies to ensure the teachers are accorded the necessary facilitation to work at their stations.
Macharia said the Commission directed that the teachers be transferred to more secure areas as advised by the county security agencies.
“As a result, 94 teachers resumed duty while 129 teachers declined to report for work,” the TSC boss said.
Macharia said the county director, Mandera, in a bid to assist the teachers settle, transferred 18 of them to safer areas in the county.
Thereafter, seven out of the 129 teachers who had declined reported to work.
Macharia said after noting that 122 teachers had failed to report to work, the commission resolved to start a disciplinary process against them.