TSC: No law bars teachers from being recruited as poll officials
Teachers Service Commission CEO Nancy Macharia at a past function. The teachers' employer says primary head-teachers must now have degree qualifications. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
The IEBC usually offers short term contracts during the electioneering period.
This year, the electoral body is seeking to recruit more than 350,000 people to help with the August polls.
The commission needs some 262,665 polling clerks, 91,032 presiding and deputy presiding officers, and 5,054 support electoral trainers.
The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has denied releasing any circular barring teachers from being recruited as election officials.
This comes after a memo purportedly barring teachers from being recruited by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) as poll officials for the August 8 polls was circulated on social media on Monday.
But Kahumba Kimotho, the head of communication at the TSC, described the memo as a fake.
“Note that you relied on a fake circular and the signature purporting to be that of the TSC CEO, Nancy Macharia is a crude attempt to forge her signature.
"I have sent you official documents signed by TSC CEO so that you can compare the signatures,” he said on Tuesday.
WRITTEN PERMISSION
In the “fake circular” seen by the Nation, heads of schools were asked to only allow teachers who have express written permission to be absent during the election period, or face disciplinary action.
“I have attached a circular sent earlier on the role of teachers in elections which has clearly stated that they can be engaged,” said Mr Kimotho.
He added that there is no law barring teachers from being recruited as election officials.
CONTRACTS
The IEBC usually offers short-term contracts during the campaign period.
This year, the electoral body is seeking more than 350,000 temporary workers to help with the August elections.
The commission needs some 262,665 polling clerks, 91,032 presiding and deputy presiding officers, and 5,054 support electoral trainers.
They also require 337 logistics officers, 580 constituency ICT clerks and 290 deputy returning officers.
