TSC told to make school staff rooms less tribal

By Peter Opiyo

The Teachers Service Commission TSC) has been put under pressure to end tribal imbalances in public primary school staff and cut down the number of staff it has proposed for county governments.

Even though TSC said it was difficult to implement the requirement, MPs insisted the commission must obey the law.

The Constitution requires that a dominant community should not occupy more than two-thirds of public positions in an institution.

Appearing before the parliamentary Constitutional Implementation Oversight Committee, TSC Secretary Gabriel Lengoiboni said though the requirement is in the TSC policy, the commission has encountered resistance whenever it attempts to implement it. He however, promised to try to overcome the hurdle.

"In primary schools the tendency has been to have the teachers recruited in their districts because the argument is if we have our own, then why we seek others from outside," said Mr Lengoiboni.

"This requirement may work elsewhere but it would be difficult to work in teaching, especially in primary schools," said he.

political intrusion

Committee vice chairperson and nominated MP Millie Odhiambo and Assistant Ministers Kilemi Mwiria and Elizabeth Ongoro said schools are some of the key institutions that should be used to bring about national cohesion.

They pointed out that TSC should not sit back and watch politicians run the show.

Local Government Permanent Secretary Karega Mutahi said the requirement is also in the County Governments Bill and TSC has no option but to implement it.

The MPs also opposed the proposal to employ about 1,833 new workers as TSC seeks to decentralise its services, saying the workforce is bloated and ought to be reduced.

This view was shared by Public Service Commission Commissioner Mary Gikuuri, who said the Government may not be able to sustain the bloated workforce.

About Sh114 million has been set aside to cater for the 47 County Directors of Education while Sh950 million is being sought for infrastructural development in the counties.

Ms Ongoro, Sotik MP Joyce Laboso, Gwassi MP John Mbadi, Turkana Central MP Ekwee Ethuro and Kanduyi MP Alfred Khang’ati opposed the huge workforce saying it would strain the Exchequer.

But Lengoiboni defended TSC saying what the commission presented was just a proposal.

But this elicited fury from Mr Khang’ati.

"I don’t know why you should come to this meeting with a hypothetical proposal. It means you are not taking this committee seriously," Khang’ati complained.

Ongoro and Khang’ati differed on sharing of personnel in the counties. While Ongoro wanted the staff to be posted equally, Khang’ati was of the view that more populated counties be allocated more staff.