The teachers’ employer has detailed strategies it has been using to keep tutors in the terror-prone North-Eastern region since 2014.
Appearing before the National Assembly’s Education Committee chaired by Tinderet MP Julius Melly, the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) Chief Executive Officer Nancy Macharia said the commission had to resort to massive interdiction and subsequent dismissal of teachers to force them to work in Mandera, Garissa and Wajir counties.
Mrs Macharia told the committee Wednesday that despite such actions, many teachers camped at the commission’s offices while others moved to court to challenge the decisions.
“There has been a public outcry by family members of the slain teachers, who have demanded compensation for loss of life in the course of duty,” said Mrs Macharia.
She said the commission’s decision has also been costly due to various court decisions which have declared some of the policies as unconstitutional.
Mrs Macharia said 42 teachers have died in terror attacks in North-Eastern since 2014.
In 2014, 24 teachers lost their lives after the bus they were travelling in from North-Eastern was ambushed by Al-Shabaab militants.
In February 2018, three teachers were killed at Qarsa Primary School in Wajir and another two were murdered at Arabia Boys’ Secondary School in Mandera.
Last month, three teachers were killed at Kamuthe Primary School.
“Insecurity and hostile treatment of teachers in several parts of the country has posed a great challenge to the commission in discharging its function to optimally staff public institutions,” said Mrs Macharia.
Some 10,000 learners have been affected by the mass transfer of teachers from the region