Garissa leaders demand action against TSC boss Nancy Macharia

A section of political and religious leaders from Garissa County want the government to take action against Teachers Service Commission (TSC) CEO Nancy Macharia following the transfer of non-local teachers from the area.

On Monday, TSC transferred all non-local teachers in Garissa County following targeted terror attacks in the North Eastern region.

The teachers were immediately issued with transfer letters to their new workstations, with the commission further urging non-local teachers based in Mandera and Wajir to visit TSC offices at their original counties for further direction.

However, speaking on Thursday the Garissa leaders led by MCA Hussein Mohamed Dagane, Deputy Speaker Mohamed Abass and Supkem Chairman Abdullahi Salat blamed Ms. Macharia for the teaching crisis that has hit the county, saying withdrawing non-locals from the area was not the solution.

According to the leaders, the move to transfer non-locals from the area supports the Al Shabaab narrative and could be interpreted that the government is unable to provide security in the region.

“We demand the national government to take action against TSC for forcefully transferring teachers and supporting the narrative of terrorists that intend to divide Kenyans,” said the leaders in a statement read out by Abdullahi Salat.

“TSC is saying that the government is unable to provide security in this region and that is the message TSC is giving and if the govt supports that message then its well and good.”

The leaders called on the locals who scored C+plus and above to come out and volunteer to teach.

“We are urging locals with C +plus and above to come out and volunteer in solidarity with their student brothers and sisters. We also call upon them to join teacher training colleges in the coming intake,” they said.

They further called upon religious leaders to use their various to emphasize on need to increase local teachers uptake.

The leaders also demanded that the government implements the 2016 affirmative action that had been introduced by then Education CS Amina Mohamed on having students with D admitted in teachers training colleges.

Dagane vowed that as local leaders they would continue holding series of meetings until they find a long term solution to the teaching crisis in the area.

Meanwhile, civil servants and other staff from non-governmental organizations from Garissa have decided to dedicate their free time to teach in schools where non-local teachers have left following mass transfers by the TSC.

At Iftin Primary School, area chief Dekow Mohammud has volunteered to take over the Mathematics and Religious lessons for Class Eight pupils who he says are the most vulnerable at the moment.