As much awaited retirement of Dr. Nancy Macharia approaches fast, most teachers especially the Head teachers who tasted the wrath of delocalization have stories to tell.
The policy which was enforced in 2017 was believed by many teachers as a way of punishing teachers after successful implementation of career progression guidelines (2017) which saw Head teachers reap big in salary increment.
Delocalization policy refers to government policy requiring teachers to be transferred to teach in areas outside their place of origin. Teachers Service Commission, (TSC) gave the rationale for the policy as a sure way to prevent conflicts of interest in the administration of public schools.
The policy begun with newly recruited teachers being taken outside their counties and then as from 2018, massive transfers of head teachers followed.
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What brought incessant nightmare was the delocalization of aged head teachers, some who were remaining with less than a year, two or three to retire. The policy didn’t spare the sick and those who had marital challenges.
Education news learnt in its survey that, the policy not only pushed most head teachers to mental health, but it also led to untold marriage breakages and to saddening scenarios where some, succumbed to depression after several attempts to implore upon the commission to address the challenges they were wading through to no avail.
“My colleague died after struggling with depression. His home was falling apart but his attempts to seek audience and support from TSC’s offices hit a brick wall. May he rest in eternal peace,” said one of the head teacher from South Rift.
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Many other Head teachers told stories of their colleagues whose situations were dire due to terminal illnesses. “Some opted for early retirement as they could not live alone in rented houses,’ added George a retired head teacher from Kakamega County.
Owing to inability to manage household chores, some head teachers despite their ages are reported to have entered into late marriages in the regions they were transferred to. A case is told in West Pokot where a head teacher who was delocalized decided to marry out of frustrations. The teacher was not able to cook, wash clothes and mop his living unit a situation that made him to always look unkempt.
Delocalization remains a monster that teachers especially heads remain talking about in low tones when trying to make a postmortem of Dr. Nancy Macharia’s ten year tenure. It is their prayer that the policy dies and rot completely never to resurrect in this century.
By Naboth Murunga
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