The National Assembly (NA) Majority leader, Aden Duale now want the mass transfers of non-local teachers from North Eastern region resolved before the BBI rally slated for next weekend in Garissa town takes place.
While terming the move by the teachers who left the region as ‘dishonesty of the highest level’, Duale wondered why the tutors would leave en mass, claiming that there was no insecurity, yet hundreds of them still remained around.
The NA Majority leader, said that the region will only support the BBI after what he termed as ‘three irreducible minimums’ are sorted and acceptable solutions agreed on.
“They should tell us what plans they have for the region going forward now that they had forcefully transferred all the non somali teachers. Prof. George Magoha must also come to North Eastern and see for himself how best the situation is on the ground,” Duale said.
He said that the parliamentary committee on education should move with speed and summon Teachers Service Commission (TSC) CEO, Dr. Nancy Macharia and the education CS to explain what informed their decision.
Speaking at Boys Town Secondary School during a meeting with parents and students on Saturday, Duale said that there was no way the region could support BBI when it has a bigger problem at the education sector.
“Let me make it very clear. For us to discuss the BBI the following must be done. We must candidly discuss why schools are closing in North Eastern and our children are being denied the right to quality education,” Duale said.
“We also must discuss the serious insecurity bedeviling our region. Finally we must discuss the doctored census figures,” he added.
The Garissa Township legislator said last week he will not be attending the meetings that he termed as a ‘confusion’.
So far more than 3,000 non-local teachers have been issued with transfer letters.
The mass transfers was occasioned by the killing of 3 non-local teachers in Kamuthe, Garissa County last month.
“Under the new constitution, government of Kenya under President Uhuru Kenyatta is under obligation through the ministry of education to make sure each and every child in Kenya can access quality education. It is our right,” Duale noted.
He said that it was the responsibility of the government to protect every citizen individually and his property, saying that as residents they will continue working with the government to ensure that the region is stabilized in terms of security.
On the census results, Duale further said that bureaucrats in the KNBS were behind the doctored figures saying that the sole intention was to deny the region resources and possibly scrap some of the constituencies.
By Jacob Songok
