The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has thrown into confusion the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) after it plucked three branch executive secretaries from office and took them back to class under unclear circumstances.
This unprecedented action is one of the unconventional moves by the teacher employer, considering that the teachers are still serving their terms as branch bosses.
Those affected are Omondi Oluoch of Tana River, Moses Kimwere of Isiolo and William Lengoyiap of Samburu, who have now been instructed to report to their indicated stations with immediate effect. The order is contained in their respective posting letters dated January 23, 2024, copies of which have been seen by Education News.
In the posting letters, Oluoch has been taken to Uriri High School to teach Mathematics and Physics in a letter signed by Catherine Wachira (Migori TSC County Director), Lengoyiap has been posted to Kirisia Secondary School to teach Biology and Agriculture, while Kimwere has been whittled to Waso Secondary School to teach Mathematics and Chemistry. Both letters were signed by Tola Jilo for TSC Secretary and Chief Executive Officer Dr Nancy Macharia.
The three have further been directed to report to their stations within 14 days for assignment of duties, with principals of the schools being directed to inform the commission through their county directors the date they reported for duty.
“Any appeal against this posting should reach the Commission within 14 days from the date of this letter and in case of any appeal, you are required to report to your new station as you await the decision of the Commission,” reads the letter in part.
The three who spoke to Education News stated that they did not receive any communication from the union Secretary General Akello Misori on the surrounding circumstances.
“There was no communication from the union; in fact I was called by a guy at TSC and told me I (to) give him my e-mail address so that he can send me a letter. When I received the mail on January 24, 2024, the county director called me on the same day to pick that letter. I don’t know why I should even report because my members whom I represent did not say that I go back to class. There was no by-election, I did not lose any election, and there was no communication from the Secretary General,” narrated Kimwere.
Oluoch’s sentiments are the same, arguing that he is an elected leader of Tana River branch.
“How does that work with an elected leader? I am elected then somebody comes and says you have been posted. Once you have been elected as Executive Secretary of a branch, you become a full time employee of the union, and that changes only when you lose through resignation, death, expulsion by the National Governing Council, and if I stay abroad for more than six months, or lose in a subsequent election,” he said.
The same was echoed by Lengoyiap, who observed that TSC is being drawn into the union’s internal affairs and that they will not be intimidated in their quest for justice for the Kenyan teacher.
“They want to intimidate us so that we should not speak on pro-rata, and not speak about teachers and TSC; so that they can change the union Constitution to suit them,” said Lengoyiap.
According to Oluoch and Lengoyiap, the decision to haul them to class is the result of their opposition to the pro-rata policy. Things then went south when they visited Machakos branch to stand with KUPPET Machakos branch Vice Chairperson Yvonne Mutindi, who was facing disciplinary action. Incidentally, Mutindi is also in the camp that is opposed to the pro-rata rule.
Yet there is a stark contradiction – TSC’s release letter states that the branch executive secretaries are posted back to class only if they lose an election.
“Should you fail to be re-elected as a union official you are required to notify this office within 14 days to enable us post you to a public institution before a break in service occurs,” reads the release letter seen by Education News.
But as things stand now, TSC seems to have ignored its own rules of engagement. Apparently, the commission has been sucked into the infighting within the union.
We shall offer a detailed analysis of the push and pull in our next print edition.
By Roy Hezron
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