TSC turns away 28 applicants over Maisha cards

TSC acting Chief Executive Officer Eveleen Mitei. [File, Standard]

Twenty-eight applicants for the ongoing teachers' recruitment in Trans Nzoia county have accused the Teachers Service Commission TSC of locking them out because for lacking the old generation identification cards.

The applicants said they had been denied employment opportunities after submitting Maisha cards.

The applicants had undergone the first verification and were invited for the second verification process when they were informed that they would not proceed in the recruitment process.

"We applied, and we were shortlisted, and after undergoing first verification, we were invited for the second one but we were shocked when told that we are not eligible because we have Maisha cards," lamented Jacklyn Nafula.

The applicants alleged that they secured Maisha cards after losing the old generation cards.

"We lost the generation cards and secured the maisha cards; little did we know this would punish us," said Justine Mahinya.

Eric Simiyu, who graduated 13 years ago, said that when he was hopeful to get employed after being shortlisted.

"For over a decade, I have searched for  TSC employment without success, and when I was shortlisted, I was hopeful that my prayers had been answered, but I am disappointed after being locked out of the recruitment," complained Simiyu.

The applicants complained that TSC demanded old-generation ID cards as if the Maisha card were an illegal document.

"Now that we have been turned away, we want the national government to tell us if Maisha cards are illegal documents," said Abel Wekesa.

TransNzoia County Director of TSC Solomon Leseewa said some of the applicants had changed or replaced their old IDs in order to secure employment in the county at the expense of the locals.

Leseewa said some of the affected applicant replaced their identification cards as late as last December in a bid to seek teaching employment.

"During the scrutiny, we discovered that some of the identification cards presented by applicants are questionable. They also failed to produce old generation identification cards when asked," said Leseewa.

According to Leseewa, the applicants had failed to provide sufficient reasons for the abrupt replacement of the ID cards.

"We are providing the local community the first priority in the recruitment as stipulated in the TSC," said the TSC director.