New Teacher Employer Has a Tough Job Ahead

30 June 2011

Nairobi — A new-look Teachers Service Commission is beginning to take shape with the implementation of the new Constitution.

On Thursday, 10 commissioners left upon the expiry of their contracts, leaving another 14 appointed under the old order to serve out their terms.

The exit of the bloated Commission will see the emergence of a leaner TSC composed of no more than nine members.

The new-look TSC will have the important task of charting a new course in the administration of one of the biggest employers in the country.

The TSC will henceforth be an independent Commission, an important development that insulates it from political pressure and manipulation.

The new body will also be treading uncharted territory in designing and implementing structures that devolve the functions of a national strategic institution to the County government level.

This is tricky assignment with a lot of grey areas in regard to the employment of teachers.

Already, there is a lot of uncertainty as to whether staff will be moved to take up new employment under the County governments.

There is also uncertainty as to whether public servants who are moved to the devolved units will only serve within their “home” counties.

These are grey areas that need to be urgently clarified, and the new-look TSC will have to provide the solutions as it takes up the weighty mandate of designing the devolution path for its employees.

We wish to caution that the TSC must not countenance moving teachers only to their home counties. Even with devolution, Kenya must remain one, indivisible nation.

Posting public servants on the basis of counties would be the first dangerous move towards balkanisation and creation of ethnic and regional fiefdoms.

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