The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) has criticised the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) over what it describes as irregular and unfair transfers of teachers across counties.
Speaking during a press conference, union officials said the commission’s actions violate existing regulations in the education sector, which encourage teachers to work near their homes unless there are valid reasons for transfers.
According to KNUT, teachers who serve within their home counties tend to perform better and are more stable in their work, a factor the union says directly benefits learners.
The union further accused TSC of failing to consult key education stakeholders before effecting the transfers, a move it said has caused anxiety among affected teachers and disrupted learning in some schools.
“Teachers should teach near their homes and in their counties. It is not possible that we are always getting teachers from other areas, yet delocalisation was already scrapped,” one union official said.
He added that while TSC has the mandate to transfer teachers, the process should be humane and consultative.
“The commission should engage stakeholders first before making such decisions. TSC has the responsibility to transfer teachers, but it should not do so in a barbaric manner,” he said.
This is not the first time KNUT has opposed teacher transfers by the commission. Last year, the union raised concerns over the transfer of teachers from Nairobi, warning that the move could negatively affect learning outcomes in the county.
The transfers were linked to the teacher delocalisation policy, which involved posting teachers outside their home regions. KNUT has repeatedly described the policy as punitive and inhumane, arguing that it undermines both teachers’ welfare and students’ academic performance.
The union claimed that some teachers have already received delocalisation letters, while others have been given up to three months’ notice to relocate, despite the government having earlier announced the scrapping of the policy.
“Some have already received the letters, and others have been left with three months. We believed delocalisation was over, but it seems to have returned, especially in Nairobi,” KNUT said in an earlier statement on September 3, 2025.
KNUT has since called on TSC to revoke all delocalisation letters issued to teachers and uphold policies that promote stability and performance in schools.
