TSC goes hi-tech to end sexual abuse in schools

By Augustine Oduor

The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) now has a new system to nab teachers engaging in sex with their pupils.

A Customer Relations Management System and Database on teacher sexual offences contains a list of all teachers employed under TSC, their employment codes, stations of work, list of all institutions under TSC and the names of all pupils.

Parents, the public and pupils will be expected to report incidents of sexual assault to any TSC office and the information will be instantly reflected in the system at all TSC offices and the headquarters.

Commission Secretary Gabriel Lengoiboni said with the system, which was funded by Plan Kenya for Sh15 million, such cases shall be solved in less than three months.

"Previously, these cases could take up to five years. But with this new technology, we will be able to resolve and take decisive action well in time," he said.

An email alert shall be sent to TSC headquarters in case action will not have been taken after three months.

Lengoiboni said incidents of manipulation of sexual offences cases by teachers and other officers would no longer be possible because the head office would access and monitor progress of the cases.

"Even though we do a lot towards discipline, we have been seen to protect those involved because some teachers could manipulate the data," he said.

Partners in the new technology include Child Kenya, Plan Kenya and the Centre for Rights Education and Awareness.

Lengoiboni said under the new Constitution that provides for an independent commission, cases of child abuse would be speeded up. TSC chairman Ibrahim Hussein said 641 instances of immoral behaviour had been reported to the commission with 164 reported this year.

He said for the past five years, Nyanza Province had the highest number of reported cases at 130. Rift Valley had 129 while Eastern Province reported 115. In Nairobi, only three such cases have been reported in the past five years.