KISUMU, May 11th –Kisumu West Member of Parliament Roza Buyu has declared her intention to petition the National Assembly’s Select Committee on Education to investigate what she terms as irregular and unilateral transfers of head teachers across the Nyanza region.
The legislator’s move follows weeks of frustration after multiple attempts to engage the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) Commissioner Timon Oyucho failed to yield a resolution.
“When I heard about Mr Wao’s transfer, I reached out to Commissioner Oyucho to find an amicable solution, fearing that the move would disrupt normal learning activities and exam preparations,” Buyu said.
The dispute escalated dramatically on Monday when students of St Mark Obambo in Buyu’s constituency took to the streets to protest the transfer of their principal, Mr Peter Wao.
Buyu defended the students, describing them as well-disciplined and their action as that of a frustrated lot pushed to the wall.
“Mr Wao has navigated the school well and recorded a remarkable number in Grade 10 intake, pushing the school’s overall population to 1,400 students,” she noted.
Buyu accused both county and regional education directors of displaying ineptitude despite several engagements.
“The National Assembly must probe why these transfers are being effected without considering the well-being of the school, the communities around and the students,” the MP reiterated.
However, in a sharp rebuttal, TSC Commissioner Timon Oyucho dismissed the allegations, insisting the transfers are routine and lawful.
“These are normal administrative procedures undertaken by the TSC secretariat in consultation with the board. This is a normal procedure of the commission, done twice annually in April and December, affecting over 500 heads of schools countrywide,” Oyucho clarified.
He further emphasised that no single commissioner can overturn a board decision.
“The affected principals are always given a chance to appeal, with the board required to sit and listen to the appeals within a stipulated timeframe,” he added.
Buyu’s intervention comes barely 14 days after Maseno South Diocese Bishop Charles Onginjo flagged head teacher transfers in Nyanza, questioning their compliance with the law.
The MP now wants Parliament to audit the entire transfer process to protect schools from what she calls disruptive administrative overreaches.
