The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has come out strongly to defend claims by Junior Secondary School (JSS) teachers in their nationwide strike on Monday that corruption and political influence in the employment tabled is rife.
Tharaka Nithi County TSC Director, Mohamed Gabow, while addressing the JSS teachers at TSC offices in Chuka town, Tuesday, said the Commission had a well-structured and intact merit list for employment, maintaining that employments were strictly in line with the law.
“We can assure you that we have our merit list, which is clearly listed. Once there is a vacancy, we refer to the merit list and the next person in the list is picked as a replacement,” the County TSC boss said.
Gabow assured the teachers who had marched to his office to honor the nationwide JSS teachers’ strike that he had received their memorandum, and would forward it through the regional office, to TSC headquarters.
“This matter shall be followed up. We will forward your demands to the TSC Headquarters through the regional office. That is the channel that is stipulated by law and falls within laid down procedures,” he affirmed.
The JSS National Chairperson, Edwin Osoro, who had joined the protests in Tharaka Nithi, noted that the teachers were ready to negotiate and look for a return-to-work formula, which would see over 46,000 teachers employed on permanent terms and compensated for their time working as interns.
The teachers claimed that Members of Parliament and Ministry heads, had interfered with TSC’s mandate by dishing out employment letters at public functions.
“Employment letters are being given out in public functions. If the government has money to pay those being employed through the back door, then they must have money to confirm and compensate interns. Why then would TSC say there is no money to absorb interns?” Linda Nkatha, a JSS teacher from Muthambi Sub-county wondered.
The teachers noted that the Sh17, 000 salary award, was not sufficient following the high cost of living in the country, adding that they should be compensated for the period they worked as interns.
The JSS teachers who have been serving as intern teachers for two years stated that the strike would go on until they are confirmed into permanent and pensionable terms, with their leadership asking the teachers not to report to schools as interns, as it would be deemed an illegality by the courts, which ruled the programme unlawful.
In a court ruling on April 17, 2024, Justice Bryrum Ongaya of the Employment and Labour Relations Court, stated that TSC violated the intern teachers’ right to fair labour practice, saying they should be employed to meet the optimal staffing needs in public schools.
By David Mutwiri and Blaise Gitonga
