John S. Khabamba

 Teachers Service Commission has cautioned Junior schools teachers against failing to attend  the nationwide retooling program set to begin Monday, 2nd December. The commission has put on guard TSC Subcounty Directors to ensure a 100% attendance of the program in their respective venues. The staffing officers are directed to swiftly institute displinary action for teachers who will fail to turn up for the four-day activity. JSS teachers have taken an issue with the timing of the retooling program with many claiming to be far away from their respective venues.  Some tutors have asked their Heads Of Institutions to facilitate the travelling cost but the heads have been unresponsive while others have promised to refund the fare when schools reopen much to discontent of the 'moguls' as are popularly known. As we approach the start of the program, some have already made up their minds not to attend. The Subcounty TSC officials have admitted  to have received a barrage of ...

 Junior Secondary School Teachers have called out the Teachers Service Commission for organizing retooling during the festive December Holidays. The displeased teachers cite the inconvenience the commission will pose for them to attend the week long training. Photo:Courtesy   "The Teachers Service Commission has planned the retooling of teachers handling grade 7 and 8 (Junior School) in Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) and Competency Based Assessment (CBA) with the effect from 20th November to 5th December, 2024..." read part of the circular dated 28th October, 2024. While the teachers appreciate the need of organizing such workshops, they have faulted their employer for 'inconvenient timing.' The face to face training will take place between 2nd and 5th December in select venues at the Subcounty level. Consequently, teachers who had traveled to their homes for December Holidays will be forced to travel back to their stations and back again to their homes after the t...

Jobless primary school teachers commonly known as P1 teachers are up in arms demanding the Teachers Service Commission to add them to its payroll. The tutors are citing unfairness in recent recruitment with the employer focusing on Graduates in staffing Junior Secondary schools. But, is Jss the reason for not employing P1 teachers? Well, on face value the commission cannot be blamed but let's face it, JSS Transition is as lame as it gets . Here is why...  Photo: TSC CEO, Dr. Nancy Macharia. ( Credit : The Standard  Teacher shortage in Public Educational Institutions has  rocked this country  since pre-independance era to date. Different governments have tried to plug the deficit but the efforts  are yet to achieve the ideal student to teacher ratio. The roll out of Competence Based Curriculum was bound to deepen the teacher shortage crisis as the new curriculum gave rise to a whole new dynamic of permeating knowledge, skills and attitudes in addition to  in...

It is little over a month since the historic ouster of former Deputy President, Rigathi Gachagua but  some quotas of the population are still wrapping their heads around this unprecedented development. Yes, it happened! The DP was indeed removed through a constitutional process. While the constitution has such provision, did the framers shoot themselves in the foot by creating a 'opportunistic' process for political maneuvering?  Photo: Courtesy  One of the fundamental reasons as to why a new constitutional dispensation was indispensable  was to strengthen the constitutional institutions. To give them some independence dimension which was glaringly lacking in the previous dispensation. The executive which bore the biggest brunt of political intrusion in the old constitution era was set to be relieved. The Presidency oscillated around an all-powerful individual who  wielded excess potency that turned them  into  mafia rulers; dictating with an iron-fist...

 Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD)  has made a flurry of changes to the CBC curriculum in  upper primary and Junior school levels. This is according to the newly published curriculum designs on their official website.  Photo:Courtesy: KICD logo The curriculum developers at the start of the  year, made significant changes to the CBC curriculum framework by rationalizing the content from pre-primary to Junior school. This came as a result of the recommendations  of Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms (PWPER). For instance, the learning areas in Junior School were reduced from 15 to only 9 (all of them being compulsory). This was geared towards addressing the overloads, overlaps and repetition in the related learning areas. KICD swiftly released the rationalized curriculum designs for use in the facilitation of learning as the process of publishing of new  learners' textbooks  in line with the rationalizaton and merger kick...

Budget and Appropriation Committee At National Assembly chair, Ndindi Nyoro has told the Teachers Service Commission to permanently employ JSS interns claiming the money was already allocated in 2024-25 budget. Kiharu MP, Ndindi Nyoro speaking in Nandi County  Photo courtesy   He urged the teachers' employer to officially communicate  the conversion road map to quell the anxiety amongst Junior School teachers. " We know, that the TSC is an independent commission but as parliament we have allocated money for confirmation of JSS teachers or interns into permanent and Pensionable. " I humbly request, please TSC give an official communication to JSS teachers who are currently interned on the day you're going to confirm them into permanent and Pensionable terms so that they   can actually know and they can be able to budget," he continued.  " We have heard voices from us, we have heard voices from the Treasury and we have also heard from the CS for Education, th...

Under fire  Kenya Union Of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) Secretary General, Akello Misori, has revealed that JSS interns confirmation was not on the table during negotiations to end high school tutors' strike. Photo: Courtesy  Speaking exclusively to NTV, at his office in Nairobi, a seemingly shaky SG,  intimated that the return to work formula signed between the union and the employer (TSC) did not contain the JSS confirmation component. "The issue of employing Junior Secondary School Teachers was not discussed despite the pressure to  TSC to include it into the return to work formula", Misori told the NTV journalist in the sit down interview. "The confirmation issue has taken the political route...the Ministry of Education gave out a promissory note on confirmation of JSS interns come January but as a union we cannot compel TSC to employ any teacher as it is beyond our purview," he continued. Akello, who is  on the spot  for 'unprocedurally'...

Teacher's representatives; Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) and Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) have taken different positions on the teachers'  strike that  was/is set to begin on Monday. KNUT Secretary General, Collins Oyuu (left) consults with his KUPPET counterpart, Akello Misori during a meeting with TSC.  Photo by The Standard Kenya   The two unions had issued strike notices with similar demands to the employer TSC earlier in the month. Top on the list, was the implementation of second phase of the 2021-25 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). A series of meetings were held to avert the crisis occasioned by the probable industrial action. The last-gasp talks at the Kenya School of Government yielded partial fruits as the employer agreed to honor the CBA pact. Although the fate of the other demands remained vague, TSC, in its press release, noted that the unions had agreed to withdraw the strike notices after consulting their inte...

 National Treasury Cabinet Secretary, John Mbadi has  now backtracked on his previous sentiments on JSS Confirmation. The CS now claims there is money allocated for the confirmation of JSS interns from January, 2025. Image: Treasury Cabinet Secretary, John Mbadi during an interview on Thursday with Citizen TV.  Photo courtesy of Citizen Tv Kenya  "Those saying there's money, they are very right. I was wrong and there nothing wrong with being wrong", Mbadi defended himself in undated audio interview. " I was misunderstood when I said there are no resources for confirmation," he continued. "What I meant was that due to cash crunch at the Treasury, we cannot afford to facilitate the confirmation from July to December this year. But there is an allocation of Ksh, 22 bilion for that process effective next year in January", he explained. The first time minister also disclosed that the communication has been made to the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) over ...

 The chair of the Parliament's departmental committee on Education, MP Julius Melly has called out the National Treasury CS John Mbadi for lying about the JSS confirmation. "I was surprised when Mbadi woked up and claimed that there's no JSS money", Melly said while speaking at a function. National Assembly Education Committee Chairman, MP Julius Melly.  Photo by The Star "Budget making process is done in the Parliament not at the Ministry and there are printed estimates from the National Assembly to the Treasury.  I want to assure KNUT and KUPPET that, I being the chair of Education Committee,  saw Ksh 18 billion for JSS," he expounded Earlier CS Mbadi made the  shocking revelation on Citizen TV when asked about the allocation made for JSS Interns Employment.  " We don't have resources for confirmation of JSS teachers and employment of additional 20k,"Mbadi dropped the bombshell.  " There was a mention from the departmental committee on E...

Thousands of teachers in  public schools across the country have been  left in dillema as to whether to report on Monday next week or not. This follows conflicting communication from TSC and the Unions after the protracted consultative meeting which aimed at averting the looming industrial action. The crisis in teaching fraternity  reached full blown when teacher unions, KNUT and KUPPET threatened to lobby their members to down their tools ahead of opening for third term. The unions tabled six demands, top on the agenda being implementation of phase II of 2021-25 CBA. The second and final phase of salary increment was supposed to implemented effective July, 2024 but that wasn't reflected in July pay.  This, among other issues sparked teachers outrage who have accused the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) of draconian labour practices. The employer has been accused of non-remittance of third party deductions, failure to promote over 130k teachers leading to career sta...

A new Premier League  season is back and so are  mouthwatering clashes. After Manchester united left it too  late to  snatch three points against Fulham on Friday night, it was the turn of Liverpool and the Co. to continue with the opener weekend showdowns.  Here is how it went down... Ipswich Town baptism of fire...  New boys Ipswich Town were taught  lunch time  premier league lesson by the new-look Liverpool as they haplessly let in two unanswered goals. Mohamed Sala continued with his incredible goal-scoring streak on opening weekends with superb effort. Diogo Jota slotted home the second to cap a perfect afternoon for EPL managerial debutant, Arn Slot.  Photo courtesy :New Liverpool manager gestures during his first EPL match against Ipswich Town.   A hard fought victory for the Gunners...  A 2-0 score line may seem a comfortable win but it wasn't the case for the  title challengers. Arsenal were made to sweat for the thre...

Religion is a social construct whose tenets are peace, love and unity. That, in religion we find solace, calm and companionship as we  juggle between the grueling duels that come our way. Well, that assertion cannot be refuted but we cannot overlook it's glaring parodixal role in shaping the heart-piercing events both at home and at a global scale.   Photo: Courtesy:Some of the World's major religions Indeed religion is one major instruments of multi-dimensonal growth but it's equally the source of some of the world's major upheavals. Take for instance the Israel - Palestinian war. The raging annihilation  was borne out, has been sustained and possibility of stop to it remains a pipedream all because of religious differences which can never be reconciled if religious indoctrination and radicalisation still supersedes logic and reason. Coming closer to home the storyline  has remained the same only at different perspective. While, religion has never shoved us into a h...

Calls are growing for Teachers Service Commission to reinstate the sacked JSS interns. Already Kuppet has petitioned TSC to rescind its decision to axe over 700 teachers, the Ministry Of Education has also dived  into the matter.  Kakamega Governor, Fernandes Barasa is the latest figure to add their voice to the impasse. TSC headquarters in Nairobi. Photo by The Standard.  Speaking during a KNUT function in Mumias, the first time Governor  urged TSC to recall the termination letters issued to the tutors for apparently missing duty without satisfactory reasons.  "On behalf of the Council of Governers, we demand the reinstatement of the sacked teachers because it's their right to picket." The governor said in part.  TSC wrote to over ten thousand teachers demanding an explanation as to why they missed duty during the first week of opening. Of the number, over nine thousand responded to the show cause letters within the procedural two weeks. According to the e...

 Teacher Service Commission has continued to show more  JSS interns the exit door despite the castigation. Last week, TSC made the bold decision discontinue the services of over 700 interns nationwide for professional misconduct and it seems they are not yet done. Today ten more teachers had their services terminated in Kisii County Photo courtesy.  JSS teachers, emboldened by the labor court decision to declare the controversial internship program illegal, staged nationwide demos demanding employment on Permanent and Pensionable terms. The seemingly well organized industrial action was sustained for nearly three weeks sending shock waves to the TSC offices.  Two weeks later, a section of JSS lobby group 'ended' it and called on teachers to return to work without qualms of possible victimization. This was after 'signing' a Return to Work Formula brokered by KUPPET. One of the consensus was non-victimization of the those who missed school ostensibly due to their parti...

 Court of Appeal has poured cold water on the hopes of thousands of JSS interns who were inching closer to Permanent and Pensionable employment. On Monday the appellate court suspended the Employment and Labour Relations Court Order which had declared internship program illegal. The suspension effectively sustains legality of the teacher internship program until the case is heard and determined. TSC is also under no obligation to convert the currently engaged intern teachers to PnP and is at liberty to engage more in the meantime.  Photo credit: Lucy Wanjiru via Daily Nation Earlier last month, High Court Justice Byram Ongaya, in his ruling pointed out that the Teacher Service Commission was overstepping their mandate by engaging interns without proper structural and legal backing. He directed the TSC  to compensate the tutors for time they had served under the program and confirm them into PnP unless they get  contrary orders from a superior bench. Dissatisfied with...

Whenever the media is invited for a Presidential Presser you know headline pronouncements are in the offing and those headlines are often with far reaching repurcussions. In the run-up to the  address the fourth estate and Kenyans alike speculate on what might the content of the presser. Well, they are not always off the mark because the addresses are always a culmination of   ubiquitous event (s) of national concern or should I say of heavy political consequence. The latest one called on 3rd May  was no different. Apart from tragically ending lives of hapless Kenyans, the devastating downpour has left the country in a turmoil as the the frail infrastructural establishments are being swept away by the raging waters which have stopped at nothing in ravaging down  all corners of the nation. The raging floods have plunged the country into a  serious humanitarian crisis last seen in the Covid-19 era where lives became couldn't be more fragile. Such predicaments...

If CBC was my nemesis, I will be spoilt for choices to attack. There are  infinite fronts of which I can dismantle, deconstruct and debunk some of the supposed basis of it's roll out. These article will strictly be objective. Before we delve deeper, it's essential to start we the basics.  Let's roll back and see how we got here.  Photo credit:Cardinal Education Network  The Competency Based Curriculum dubbed CBC (2-6-3-3) was rolled out in 2017 to replace the 8-4-4 system which has been in the existence since 1985. The curriculum framework encompasses 2 years in pre-primary, 6 years in primary, 3 years in junior school and finally 3 years in senior school. As of today, the pioneer cohort is already in Junior School. The pretext for the departure from the 'exam oriented' 8-4-4 system was to 'combat' the unemployment crisis which has been heavily linked with the former curriculum. The mantra that CBC will significantly reduce joblessness is hoax; an escapist n...

A section of senior interns have have been shocked after TSC left them out of January pay! The commission paid teachers in 23rd but some interns did not receive their stipend as usual leaving them with questions as to what may have transpired. " I was expecting the stipend to hit my  account as normal but I was dumb-founded when I found empty offers every time I checked the account balance," lamented one teacher who sought anonymity. The affected interns who claimed to have reported procedurely to their stations feel the commission is adding salt to injury with its latest move.  " Despite not being comfortable working with the meager pay  for second year running, I decided to renew the contract," added the disgruntled teacher.  "Am now wondering how I ended up missing out while colleagues got theirs, he sadly noted.  Senior interns were fiercely agitating for confirmation to PnP terms but the commission stood firm with their earlier pronouncement which declared...