Teachers through their union, Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) have threatened to paralyze learning across public schools come January following the mass transfer of more than 500 heads of schools.
Late December, the Teachers Service Commission (TSE) announced that more than 500 heads of schools would be transferred and went ahead to issue letters to the effect telling heads who were not comfortable with the decision to quit.
Among the big names affected are Edwin Namachanja of Friends School Kamusinga who has been moved to Maranda High School, Oliver Minishi of Kakamega Boys who has been moved to Nanyuki High, Principal of Mukumu Boys who has been transferred to Cardinal Otunga Kisii High, Principal Musingu Boys who has been moved to Migori Boys and Principal Kibabii Boys to Nyabigenga in Kisii.
Others are principals from Kimilili, Chesamisi and Cardinal Otunga Girls who have been moved to Mukumu Boys, Malava Boys and Koru Girls respectively.
Majority of those who have been transferred are heads of public primary schools whose association has agreed to the move.
KNUT through the Secretary-General Wilson Sossion feels that the teachers’ employer is punishing hardworking teachers by replacing them with ‘mediocre’ ones, something that will lead to dwindling performance in the affected schools.
This comes barely days after a confrontation between KNUT and the Ministry of Education over the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) results that were released in which only 11.5 percent students managed to secure a chance to join public universities.
Already leaders in Bungoma County have vowed to lock out any new headteacher posted in the region to report to his or her new station calling on TSE to overturn the decision.
TSE has remained adamant and has told teachers who have been transferred to either comply or quit.