By Norah Musega
Teacher Service Commission has made changes in the management of secondary schools across the country with the school heads receiving transfer letters hours after the release of the Kenya certificate of secondary education.
In kisii county Mr. Wachilonga Edward has been transferred from Sawagongo high school, an extra county institution in Siaya County to Riokindo boys high school in Kisii county while the former senior principal of Riokindo boys Mr. Fred Mogaka will now head Kisii School, a national boys’ institution.
Mogaka who was recently recognized and awarded on the Mashujaa day celebrations held in kisii county this year at the Gusii stadium for being a hero within the education sector.
Mogaka has been transferred to head the national school, days after Riokindo School posted a mean score of 9.3, putting it at position one in the county beating the top national school. The school was also applauded by the Ministry of Education for posting improved results in the 2020 KCSE from a mean of 7.3 in the 2019KCSE.
Mr. Maurice Ogutu, the former Kisii national school has also been transferred to Sawagongo high school in Siaya County raising mixed reactions among his colleagues who now claimed the circumstances under which he was transferred are unfair and might have been influenced politically.
The principals who sought not to be mentioned on the matter for fear of being punished noted the transfers were unnecessary since Mr Ogutu is about to retire in the teaching profession and a national school can only be headed by a chief principal.
“Instead of transferring the chief principal to another national school they moved him to an extra county school which makes the whole scenario look like a demotion. This is unfair to the school head and we urge the TSC to be fair on teacher of transfers,” said one of the school heads.
Their sentiments were equally shared by the executive secretary of Kenya union of post primary education teachers Kisii branch, Mr Joseph Abincha who also noted that the former Kisii school principal ought to have been transferred to a national school instead of an extra county school.
“We understand it is the sole mandate of the TSC to staff teachers but some transfers need the intervention of other education stakeholders to avoid a repetition of what happened to Mr. Maurice Ogutu. It’s so unfortunate to transfer a chief principal to head an extra county school after he has shown good leadership qualities in a national school,” said Abincha.
Abincha however congratulated the current Kisii school principal Mr. Mogaka on his promotion to head the national school, noting that he has equally shown the ability to head.
He noted most teachers have been transferred to other schools without requesting for any transfer.
“We have teachers with medical conditions like asthma and need to work in learning institutions near well-equipped health facilities. We were also caught unawares and we did not expect the transfers at this time and would like to understand why a chief principal was transferred to an extra county school and not a national school when he is only left with a few years to retire.” added Abincha.
Mr. Isack Okeyo the principal of Itierio boys high in Kisii county school has also been transferred to head Koderobara high school in Rongo, Migori County following the retirement of senior principal Mr. Jeam Agutu who retired in March this year before the form fours sat for their national exams.
In Migori County, the deputy principal Oyugi Ogango Girls secondary school Mrs. Rosemary Arama has also been transferred to Nyangau mixed secondary school as the deputy.
