Top 10 Less Popular Counties and Regions Among Secondary School Teachers Seeking Transfers
| s/no | County | Transfer Requests From (Secondary) | Transfer Requests To | Region | Year |
| 1. | Samburu | 94 | 9 | Rift Valley | 2023 |
| 2. | Turkana | 127 | 23 | North Eastern | 2023 |
Samburu and Turkana among the Less Popular Counties among Teachers Seeking Transfers TSC Report Reveals
The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has revealed crucial statistics that may shape TSC recruitment and transfer trends in future. According to TSC Transfer List 2023, Samburu County tails in the Top 10 most preferred counties by teachers seeking transfers this year after receiving only 9 transfer requests. Turkana County also followed suit after receiving 23 transfer requests only.
| s/no | County | Transfer Requests From (Secondary) | Transfer Requests To | Region | Year |
| 1. | Samburu | 94 | 9 | Rift Valley | 2023 |
| 2. | Turkana | 127 | 23 | North Eastern | 2023 |
Nationally, 36,277 teachers applied for transfers between November 1 last year and January 31 this year, according to data submitted by the commission to the Senate Committee on Education. Of these transfer requests, 14,733 were matched and approved while 21,544 are pending.
Top 10 Less Popular Counties and Regions among Teachers Seeking TSC Transfers
- Samburu County=9 transfer requests
- Turkana County=23 transfer requests
During the period, 1,885 teachers applied to be transferred to the capital city against 76 who requested to be transferred out of Nairobi. However, only 41 of the requests out of 1,162 to primary schools and four to secondary schools out of 723 had been approved by the end of January.
During the same period, 45 primary school teachers left the capital while only one secondary school teacher left. The highest number of primary school teachers (1,336) applied to be transferred to Bungoma County but also 1,074 others want to be transferred out of the county.
The deal to reverse the delocalisation policy is contained in principle in the non-monetary collective bargaining agreement (CBA) teachers unions signed with the TSC. The issue also became a campaign topic with the Kenya Kwanza Alliance promising to abolish it once they took power.
The transfer of teachers who were considered to have “over-stayed” at the same workstation started in 2018 and saw thousands of teachers transferred, drawing condemnation by teachers’ unions, who claimed the policy had disrupted teachers’ lives.
Kajiado County also emerged as one of the most preferred counties after receiving 237 transfer requests for teachers in secondary schools against 94 who requested to be transferred out of the county. For primary school teachers, 486 applied to work in the county against 434 who asked to be taken elsewhere.
“The transfer of teachers from one institution to another is based on the need for equitable distribution and optimal utilisation of teachers, availability of vacancies in the station, the need for replacement, existing staffing norms and medical grounds certified by a registered medical practitioner,” reads the document signed by Mr Cavin Anyuor, the director for legal, labour and industrial relations, on behalf of CEO Nancy Macharia.
The document was in response to questions on delocalisation by Embu Senator Alexander Mundigi who demanded to know the breakdown of the teachers transferred in and out of Embu County. TSC data showed1,157 teachers applied to be deployed in the county while 357 others wanted to work elsewhere. Of these, 229 have already left the county and 244 others brought in.
Other requests are pending approval. Ms Macharia further explained that, before approving a transfer, the commission ensures that the station a teacher is leaving has a suitable replacement and that there is a vacancy in the preferred station.