Reforms push sees 557 principals, deputies shuffled

Teachers Service Commission chief executive officer Nancy Macharia addresses the Secondary School Head Teachers Conference at Wild Waters in Mombasa on June 22, 2017. TSC has reshuffled school heads in order to promote integration. PHOTO | KEVIN ODIT | NATION MEDIA GROUP 

In Summary

• Those affected include 31 national schools whose teachers have been moved to schools of equal stature.
• Dr Macharia said the measures will help to improve learning outcomes in schools.

By OUMA WANZALA
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Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association (Kessha) chairman Kahi Indimuli is among 557 principals and deputies who have been transferred by their employer effective January.

Mr Indimuli, who is the principal of Chavakali High School, moves to Machakos Boys, while embattled Alliance Girls Principal Catherine Irungu, who was under investigation for misuse of funds, has been transferred to Kitui Teachers College.

Mrs Doreen Gitonga, who has been the principal of Chogoria Girls, will now head Alliance Girls.

The principals have been transferred to new destinations effective January 1, 2018, a move Teachers Service Commission (TSC) said is meant to enable teachers who had stayed in one centre for more than nine years serve in others.

REFORMS

Those affected include 31 national schools whose teachers have been moved to schools of equal stature located in different counties from stations they have been serving.

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TSC chief executive officer Nancy Macharia said the transfers were effected in a new “delocalisation programme” to promote national integration.

It is also meant to ensure that fresh ideas are infused into institutions after long-stay of some head teachers in some schools.

Dr Macharia said the transfers will be implemented gradually until all the objectives of the reform measures are fully realised.

Those moved have been asked to hand over by December 28.

LEGAL ACT
Other schools affected include Limuru Girls, Kakamega High, Sironga Girls, Cardinal Otunga Boys, Nyambaria and Kangaru, among others.

Dr Macharia said the measures will help to improve learning outcomes in schools.

On Wednesday, during the release of the KCSE examination results, Dr Macharia said the transfers were in line with the provisions in the Code of Regulations for Teachers and Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs) signed between TSC and teachers’ unions.

She cited Regulation 70(8) of the Code of Regulation for Teachers, which states that, “In undertaking deployment, the commission shall endeavour to delocalise the administration of public institutions.”

“The Code of Regulations and Code of Conduct and Ethics for Teachers shall form an integral part of this Agreement (CBA),” Clause 4 of the CBA adds.

NATIONAL SCHOOLS
At the extra-county boy schools, 78 teachers have been moved while the same number has been shifted in the girls schools of the same category (extra-county).

Eight principals have been posted to national schools that were operating without substantive heads.

Similarly, 134 vacant position at the county schools have also been filled in the transfer exercise while 19 heads have been moved at the technical institutions.

On Wednesday, Dr Macharia said a special job group had been created for school heads that allows them to enjoy higher perks.

COMPLIANCE

It means that such teachers cannot be demoted to lower positions even if they underperform or if they decide not to take up their positions.

The Nation has learnt that the positions are by appointment meaning that the staff cannot opt to return to the classroom even if they declined to pick up the positions but would instead be forced to quit.

In future, all headship positions in primary, secondary and tertiary institutions that fall vacant will be filled in line with the new requirements on delocalisation.

Dr Macharia called upon all stakeholders to support the process and asked affected head teachers and principals to move to their new destinations as advised.

“We have tried to be as humane as possible in the arrangement.