Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), Eveleen Mitei, has cautioned politicians, sponsors, and other education stakeholders against meddling in teacher transfers and deployments.
The TSC boss firmly argues that school staffing decisions are the exclusive constitutional mandate of the Commission.
Speaking at the 49th Annual Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association (KESSHA) Conference in Mombasa, Mitei disclosed a recent increase in attempts by external actors to influence teacher transfers. She stressed that such practices undermine the TSC’s independence and established staffing procedures.
“We value our stakeholders, but we ask them to allow the Commission to fulfil its mandate. I constantly receive letters instructing us to move teachers from one location to another. We maintain that this mandate lies strictly with the Commission,” Mitei affirmed.
She emphasised that while the Commission welcomes recommendations, all decisions regarding recruitment, deployment, and transfers are made based on objective employer criteria and in accordance with the law.
“You can give us your proposals, and we will consider them based on the criteria we use as an employer, but we do not need any help from anyone in staffing our schools,” she clarified.
Mitei urged the National Assembly’s Education Committee to safeguard the Commission’s constitutional independence and protect teachers from undue victimisation resulting from external pressure concerning transfers.
The Acting CEO also appealed to school principals in institutions with surplus teachers to release them for redeployment to schools facing acute staffing shortages, noting that equitable distribution of teachers remains a priority, despite budgetary constraints.
Beyond staffing matters, Mitei announced that the Commission is preparing to implement the second phase of the teachers’ Collective Bargaining Agreement next month and encouraged teachers to participate fully in the upcoming Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) job evaluation exercise.
“As principals, tell SRC what you do. Don’t tell them you are doing nothing. Once we submit the job descriptions to SRC, they will soon start evaluating teachers,” she advised.
Mitei added that the TSC has reviewed Legal Notice No. 50 to enhance support for special needs education by equipping teachers with the specialised skills required in an evolving education system.
She says the Commission will continue to pursue reforms aimed at improving teacher registration, addressing staffing shortages, and supporting competency-based education. However, she noted that sustained progress would depend on increased investment in both financial and human resources.
“We have a rapidly changing education landscape, and we should be ready to handle it. We have resource constraints, but we have all of you to manage with whatever is available,” she observed.
Mitei further called on Parliament to allocate more funding to the education sector. This, she argued, would enable the Commission and schools to meet the growing demand for teachers and deliver quality education across the country.
