Kisauni MP Rashid Bedzimba has protested the loss of 37 Junior Secondary School (JSS) teacher positions in his constituency, blaming the current national identity card system for disqualifying local applicants.
Bedzimba said Kisauni had been allocated 40 slots, yet only three candidates were selected after the recruitment process, with officials claiming others did not qualify.
Bedzimba said qualified teachers born and raised in Mombasa were rejected because the back of their ID cards reflects their parents’ places of birth, which do not indicate Kisauni. He argued this practice unfairly victimises residents whose families migrated to Mombasa and settled there, urging authorities to rely on the front of the ID card rather than parental birth details when determining eligibility.
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The MP appealed to Education CS Julius Ogamba to intervene and return the 37 lost slots to Kisauni, warning that the approach would lock out many locals from employment if not corrected.
“Please, CS, intervene on this thing. Let our 37 slots be returned to the Kisauni people,” he said, adding that such policies could push the community “to places we do not want to go back to.”
Bedzimba also urged school heads to proactively engage parents on the Competency-Based Education framework, especially around the Grade 10 transition. He asked that head teachers convene meetings to explain how CBE works, assuring parents that learners can revise their school choices if they are unhappy with their initial placements.
The MP also called for a suitable pathway and facilities for the newly launched Shanzu Senior School, noting the absence of a playing field. He proposed that the neighbouring Teachers Training College donate about two acres to create a football pitch and grounds for other sports, saying learners deserve conducive environments that support maximum concentration and effective teaching.
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Bedzimba said education remains the key to success and announced that in the next two weeks, his team would lay the foundation for Kiembeni Primary School. He added that Kisauni seeks to invest in education to expand access and improve outcomes for local children.
CS Ogamba praised Bedzimba’s efforts in the education sector and suggested other MPs could benchmark in Kisauni. He invited the MP to meet him in early January in Nairobi so they could jointly engage the Teachers Service Commission to resolve the slots issue, assuring him, “Your slots must be returned to you.”
The CS said a TVET project is in the plan for Kisauni and pledged to seek funding once a suitable site is identified. Ogamba further assured that Shanzu Senior School will have teachers in January to begin official operations, and asked Bedzimba to submit a formal request to initiate the process of securing TTC land for sports facilities.
By Masaki Enock
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