Bias rocks TSC as teachers get double promotions

The recent promotion of teachers have been rocked by controversy after it emerged that over 5,000 teachers received double promotions within months.

The commissioners serving in the Teachers Service Commission also came under fire after lawmakers accused them of favoring the regions they come from in the recently concluded teachers’ promotions.

The revelations which emerged during scrutiny by a Parliamentary committee, have triggered concerns over fairness and integrity of the exercise.

Documents tabled before the National Assembly’s Education committee reveals that 5,291 who were recently elevated appeared again during this year’s promotions, receiving further promotions to higher grades.

The revelations have sparked outrage among thousands of teachers who were left out of both exercises despite having served for years without advancement.

MPs in the Education committee are now questioning whether the system has been hijacked by favouritism or irregularities.

In her response, TSC chief executive Nancy Macharia explained that their analysis indicated there were certain promotional grades that had less applicants in certain counties.

This then forced TSC to consider those applicants who had not attained the three years required.

The shortage, she noted, affected both Arid and Semi Arid Lands and Non-Asal counties and to ensure that promotions were distributed across the country and no county is disadvantaged, TSC adopted a flexible approach where the requirement of three years was reduced.

Macharia, for instance, told the committee that in grade D3(Principal), the analysis showed that there were no adequate teachers in grade D2 who had served for the requisite three year and thus a waiver was granted from three years to six months in all the 47 counties to attract applicants.

For the Deputy Principal III (D1) position, the commission waived the three-year requirement for 18 counties including Migori, Narok, Busia, Bomet, Homa Bay, Kwale, Mandera among others.

 “The commission's decision was also informed by the need to minimise delocalisation of teachers, enabling them to serve within their localities where possible and to progressively promote administrators in acting capacities to substantive grades,” Macharia explained.

“As a result of the waiver, 5,291 teachers who had not served for at least three years in their grades were promoted.”

“The reduction of the mandatory three years requirement was to ensure fair opportunities for all teachers in the country while considering historical staffing challenges including consideration for teachers in acting positions and marginalised groups to ensure succession management.”

MPs in the committee chaired by Tinderet MP Julius Melly also questioned why certain regions where some of the commissioners come from got high slots as compared to others.

The lawmakers cited Isiolo which got 190 slots, Samburu Central (185), Lamu West (202) as some of the regions that were most favoured.

Other areas with the elephant shares include Baringo Central (163), Ithanga/kakuzi (190), Hamis (148), Keiyo North (169), Keiyo South (149), Kirinyaga East (126 teachers), Marakwet West (132), Nyahururu (139), Tana Delta (143) and Turkana Central (125).

“I want to say this for your own information, that I was at one point forced to intervene because members wanted to bring a censure motion against this commission because of this promotion thing. We are giving you seven days to address this issue once and for all,” Melly said.

“All of us are in support that promotions are fairly done cross the republic. That you would sit down as commissioners to disadvantage some regions against others this committee will never accept.”

Igembe North MP Julias Taitumu questioned why some of the promotions done favoured areas where the commissioners hail from.

He noted that a region like Igembe Central and Meru county with a high number of teachers got only 30 slots while Isiolo with less population got more.

“It is as if these promotions were shared by the commissioners. Just by looking at where somebody comes from vis-à-vis the promotions will clearly tell you what I am saying. We cannot quantify this through evidence if you want,” Taitumu said.

Lugari MP Nabii Nabwera contrasting his constituency with a population  of 4,000 teachers and receiving only 60 tutors against Lamu West which had 202 promotion slots but with less population.

“A quick analysis of their own data shows that areas where certain commissioners came from were favoured,” Nabwera said.