By Hezron Roy
Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) has instructed all its 110 Branch Executive Secretaries to compile a list of delocalized teachers who have been affected and are willing to be re-routed back to their former Counties.
In a Circular dated November 10, 2022 addressed to all Branch Executive Secretaries and copied to the union National Chairman, Treasurer, all Branch Chairpersons and Treasurers; the Secretary General Collins Henry Oyuu has further instructed the Branch bosses to ensure that the compiled list reaches the union headquarters by Close of Business (CoB) today for further action.
“Following the repeal of the delocalization policy by Teachers Service Commission (TSC), it is our wish to have all affected and willing members re-routed back to their former Counties the soonest,” said Oyuu in the Circular.
He added: “We are directing all Branch Executive Secretaries to communicate this to our teachers, collect their details, compile lists from their respective Branches and send to our office using the attached format…by mid-day of today November 10, 2022. Treat this as urgent.”
Oyuu had earlier stated that they had engaged the teachers employer in their previous meeting over delocalization and the position of the union was that it be repealed, a position that TSC accepted.
Recently, Members of Parliament passed a motion sponsored by Lurambi Member of Parliament (MP) Hon. Titus Khamala which sought to review the teachers’ deployment policy which led to the contentious teacher delocalization.
“This House resolves that the Teachers Service Commission immediately reverses the ongoing delocalization of teachers and initiates a comprehensive review of the teacher deployment policy with the involvement of teachers in order to make the policy consistent with International Labour Organization (ILO) and UNESCO laws and practices on teacher management and deployment,” said Khamala.
In a move to entice teachers and respond to protests by teachers who opposed delocalization, TSC in a Circular dated September 10, 2021 which outlined the benefits of the 2021-2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), stated that it will consider transfers for teachers who are married subject to availability of vacancies.
“To achieve the family values enshrined in the Constitution, the Commission shall consider transfer requests for married couples to appropriate station/locations subject to availability of vacancies, the need for possible replacement, existing staffing norms and proof of marriage among other factors,” read the Circular in part.
