By Abdulkadir Abdi
Hundreds of teachers have been transferred from schools in Wajir County following the recent Alshabaab attack that led to the killing of two teachers, further affecting the already moribund education sector.
Addressing local media in Wajir town, the branch secretary of Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) Mr. Noor Bardad said that over 200 teachers had been transferred by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC).
“I am really afraid that by Monday, we will be forced to close some schools since most of them now lack teachers,” Mr. Noor said “What have our children done to deserve such treatment? Just like other Kenyan children they are entitled to the right to education,”
At least tens of schools particularly those located in pastoral hinterlands such as Batalow Primary, Kutulo primary, and secondary schools have already been affected by lack of teachers.
Knut Wajir branch is now worried about a complete collapse of the fledgling education sector in Wajir as TSC continue to facilitate the transfer of non-local teachers in the area.
Political leadership has also criticized the unprecedented move by TSC to segregate the Northeastern region and particular Waijr which so far is the worst of three counties.
National Assembly Majority Leader Mr. Aden Duale has criticized TSC’s decision to transfer non-local teachers from Northeastern to their home areas.
Mr. Duale said that the directive by the commission was discriminatory and a violation of the students’ rights and residents who pay taxes to the government.
“You cannot purport to remove teachers from Northeastern Province as it is in Kenya. They pay taxes, contribute to the economy of Kenya and the leader of the majority comes from there.
“Next time you will remove doctors and the police. Why are we not removing army officers from Somalia yet we have lost many people? Even when over 100 of our children were killed in Garissa University, we did not withdraw teachers,” said Mr. Duale in Nairobi on Saturday.
The TSC, through a letter, directed non-local teachers from Wajir to make arrangements to report to their new stations immediately. It gave the teachers 14 days to notify the education director of the county they were transferred to.
This latest move by TSC is seen to infringe basic human rights that include the right to basic and primary education as enshrined in Kenya’s constitution and other international conventions on access to education.
