The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has revoked the authority previously granted to schools and county offices to independently handle transfers, deployments and appointments of Heads of Institutions, Deputy Heads and senior masters serving in acting administrative roles, in a sweeping administrative overhaul aimed at tightening control over staffing decisions.
Under the new directive, all leadership movements within public schools will now require prior approval from the TSC Board based in Nairobi, marking a significant centralisation of decision-making power.
According to an internal TSC circular seen by reporters, the changes immediately lock out headteachers, principals, deputy principals and senior masters from initiating transfer requests through the online portal.
The system now displays the notice “transfers handled administratively,” effectively shifting all applications to internal processing channels.
The commission has also introduced a stricter approval hierarchy.
Transfer proposals will now move through the County Transfer Committee, Regional Director, Director of Staffing, Commission Secretary, Field Services Committee, and finally the TSC Board for final approval before any deployment or transfer is effected.
The new rules further stipulate that all transfers, deployments and appointments, including acting positions, must receive Board approval.
In addition, proposals must reach the Director of Staffing at least one month before the start of school holidays to allow adequate processing time.
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In a notable change affecting acting administrators, the directive states that teachers who have served in acting capacity for six months or more will be required to remain in their positions until they qualify for substantive appointment, a move likely to affect mobility among school leaders currently in interim roles.
The circular also reinforces ministry of education oversight, requiring the ministry to be involved in all handover processes in line with Regulation 70(7).
All transfer letters will now be copied to the ministry, ensuring closer coordination between the two institutions.
Sources familiar with the policy shift say the amendment revises Circular 1/2020 and is intended to enforce standardisation, consistency and stricter compliance with staffing procedures across the education sector.
County Directors are now expected to serve as the primary contact points for all leadership transfer matters under the new framework.
Officials from both the TSC and the ministry of education have not yet issued public statements on the implementation timeline of the directive.
By Kithinji Njeru
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