TSC starts verification for 8,707 teachers who left through natural attrition, non-local teachers locked out
TSC Local Priority Hiring Policy
According to the latest TSC guidelines, the recruitment panels led by Sub-County Directors have been directed to prioritize local teachers. Non-local applicants will only be considered if there are no local candidates.
“Priority should be given to local applicants. Non-local applicants can only be considered once all local applicants have been exhausted,” said TSC CEO Nancy Macharia in the directive.
This means many non-local teachers are locked out regardless of their qualifications, sparking concerns in the education sector.
Why is TSC favoring local teachers?
TSC says this is to:
✔ Protect unemployed local teachers and give them a chance at employment.
✔ Minimize frequent transfer requests which disrupt learning in schools.
The commission says non-local teachers often request for transfers soon after posting and leave schools understaffed.
Teacher shortages and transfer crisis in hardship areas
In Turkana County, education officials are crying foul over mass transfer of non-local teachers.
- Over 40 teachers were recently transferred without replacement worsening the teacher shortage in hardship areas.
- Lodwar Boys High School, a national school, has not produced a straight Grade A since 2015 partly due to staffing issues.
- Turkana KESSHA Secretary Nicodemus Ingolan termed the transfers unusual and disruptive.
“This is an act of mercilessly exiting teachers from Turkana without following the TSC Act of 2012 on transfer of post-primary teachers,” he said.
The Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) Turkana Branch has given TSC 48 hours to rectify the issue or face mass protests in Lodwar town.
TSC Recruitment
For the ongoing permanent and pensionable recruitment, TSC has announced:
- 5,862 posts for primary schools
- 21 posts for junior secondary schools
- 2,824 posts for secondary schools
Teacher postings will start from March to May 2025.
TSC Document Verification Requirements
Applicants must present the following original and photocopied documents during the verification process:
For Primary School Teachers
✅ National ID
✅ TSC Registration Certificate
✅ Upgrade Diploma in Primary Teacher Education (UDPTE) or PTE Certificate
✅ KCSE and KCPE certificates (including resit attempts)
✅ School leaving certificates
✅ Letter of Certification of Results (if applicable)
✅ National Council of Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD) Card (if applicable)
✅ Sworn Affidavit for name variations
For Junior Secondary & Secondary School Teachers
✅ National ID
✅ TSC Registration Certificate
✅ Diploma/Degree certificate & official transcripts
✅ KCSE and KCPE certificates (including resit attempts)
✅ School leaving certificates
✅ Letter of Certification of Results (if applicable)
✅ National Council of Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD) Card (if applicable)
✅ Sworn Affidavit for name variations
- Serving intern teachers are only required to present their National ID during verification.
- Persons with disabilities (PWDs) must indicate their disability status for proper placement.
What Happens Next
After verification, the TSC Sub-County Director will:
- Compile a Merit List of all applicants who passed verification.
- Make the Merit List public while adhering to the Data Protection Act, 2019.
TSC Hiring and Equity
The local-first hiring policy has raised concerns on fairness and equity in teacher recruitment. Some say it’s a way of protecting local employment, while others argue it discriminates against non-local applicants and weaken national cohesion in education.
As the recruitment and deployment process continues, we’ll be watching TSC and education stakeholders to see how they address these concerns.