Pressure Mounts on MoE and TSC to Transfer Sub County Education Officials Amid Conflict of Interest Claims.
Stakeholders in the education sector have petitioned the Ministry of Education (MoE) and the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to transfer Sub County Directors of Education (SCDEs) and Sub County Directors of the TSC currently serving in their home counties. Education stakeholders have cited rampant allegations of nepotism, favoritism and corrupt service delivery due to conflict of interest.
This was raised by teacher unions, education lobby groups and educators from various regions including Nyanza, Western and Eastern Kenya. According to these stakeholders, the deployment of sub county directors in their counties of origin has undermined professional conduct and accountability in the discharge of their duties.
“Sometimes you go to an office and find an officer in a long meeting with a relative or a friend. This should not happen in a public office,” said Salome, a stakeholder.
Several teachers’ union officials in Nyanza and Western regions raised allegations of nepotism during the January 2025 teachers’ promotion exercise. The malpractice is reported to be highly prevalent in regions where the directors came from. “Teachers from one clan were favored. We only learnt later that they belonged to the clan of the sub county director,” said Ouma, a teacher in Nyanza.
More allegations were raised on recruitment and transfer of teachers. Teachers alleged that individuals with personal or educational ties to the sub county directors were given undue preference in staffing decisions. “I know of several of my colleagues who have been given schools along the tarmac courtesy of their close relationship with our sub county Director,” said Mark, a teacher in Eastern region.
Additional concerns were raised on Ministry of Education sub county directors where favoritism was said to have influenced allocation of government funded development projects.
In one case a director was said to have prioritized schools run by family members for projects meant for under resourced schools. Education lobby groups have asked the Ministry of Education to implement a regional neutrality policy where all directors are deployed outside their home counties to eliminate real or perceived conflict of interest.
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And some stakeholders have also alleged that some directors are using their current positions to build political influence ahead of 2027 general elections. This has heightened demand for the immediate transfer of affected officers to stop abuse of office for personal political gain.
The Ministry of Education and TSC have not responded to the claims as of this report. Stakeholders are still urging the authorities to prioritise transparency and equity in service delivery by reassigning all sub county directors to non-native counties.
Pressure Mounts on MoE and TSC to Transfer Sub County Education Officials Amid Conflict of Interest Claims