Secure public servants in troubled regions

The Government’s announcement that it will not approve transfer requests from over 100 teachers in Mandera County has drawn varied reactions.

That teachers have a right to seek relocation to ‘safer work environments’, following terrorist attacks in the county that have claimed the lives of more than 60 ‘non-locals’ in recent weeks, is not in doubt.

But equally so is the right of residents living in Mandera, and indeed any other part of the country hit by incidences of insecurity, to access basic services like health and education.

The sanctity of life, as clearly espoused by the Constitution, cannot be understated. Equally so is the right of every Kenyan to live and work in any part of the country. But when these rights are threatened it behoves the Government to act. Simply asking public servants that have fled the affected areas to return to their work stations is not enough. Neither will assurances ‘that safety measures will be put in place’.

The Government is constitutionally obliged to ensure the protection of every Kenyan. Public servants on the other hand are obliged to work in any part of the country, but certainly not at the expense of their lives. Perhaps what the Government should focus on more is providing concrete and tangible measures to ensure security is enhanced in these areas. Persons living and working in Mandera, Garissa, Wajir, Lamu or any other part of Kenya, must not just be assured of their safety but must actually feel secure.

From the accounts of some workers who have fled Mandera County it is clear many would be willing to return, if only their security is guaranteed. After all, many have been working in the affected areas, often under extreme hardships, and with little pay.