When the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) unveiled its online teacher transfer system in August 2025, many educators were hopeful. The promise was simple yet powerful: bring transparency, speed, and fairness to teacher transfers. Teachers across Kenya, especially those who have waited years to be closer to their families, saw this as a long-awaited breakthrough. No more endless paperwork, delays in Nairobi, or favoritism in handling applications. For the first time, a teacher could log in, apply for a transfer, and track it online.
However, barely weeks after its launch, the platform is now facing heavy criticism from the very people it was meant to serve. Teachers are raising the alarm over errors, missing data, OTP failures, and unfair exclusions, describing the system as “incomplete,” “unreliable,” and “a disappointment.” The frustrations echo those raised in an earlier reform where JSS teachers were first onboarded into the digital transfer module, as covered in this related post: TSC Has Made These Two Big Changes to Teachers, But JSS Are the Happiest.
The Complaints: Teachers Speak Out
Teachers from across the country are flooding forums, WhatsApp groups, and social media with complaints. Below are some of the recurring frustrations voiced by thousands of educators.
1. Wrong Work History and Records
A system meant to rely on accurate TSC records is instead misrepresenting teachers’ details. Some teachers are shocked to see the system capturing them as teaching in their home counties, yet in reality, they work hundreds of kilometers away. Others say the years of service are wrong. One teacher who has worked over 10 years found the system recording them as just 2.3 years in their current station.
A frustrated teacher wrote:
“This is my 8th year yet it reads 5… mbona wanaiba?”
This issue is critical because length of stay is a key criterion in transfer approvals. Wrong data means many teachers risk being unfairly denied transfers, even when they have completed the mandatory five years of service in one station.
2. OTP Verification Headache
Every login and application requires an OTP (One-Time Password). But teachers say the system’s OTP process is a nightmare. An OTP can take two days to arrive, and when it finally comes, it expires in just five minutes. By then, the teacher is already locked out.
As one put it bluntly:
“OTP… wueeeh!!! The weakest incomplete software I have ever seen.”
Instead of ensuring security, the OTP system has become the single biggest barrier to accessing the platform.
3. Blank or Incomplete School Listings
Teachers applying for transfers often find that the list of schools is either blank or incomplete. In some cases, the “select school” option is inactive altogether. This makes it impossible to finish an application. For a teacher desperate to move closer to home, it’s like hitting a dead end.
4. Internship Teachers Locked Out
Perhaps the most demoralized group is internship teachers. Many interns have been on the job for years but still lack permanent recognition. The system does not recognize them as full employees. Their years of service are only counted after confirmation, ignoring all months or years worked before.
One intern compared it to government casual jobs:
“The internship is kazi mtaani. You’re working but not recognized.”
For young teachers, this means all their sacrifice—early mornings, long commutes, rural postings—counts for nothing.
5. No Swap Option
Traditionally, teachers could swap transfers with colleagues in different schools. This mutual exchange made transfers flexible and fair. But the new online system removed the swap feature, leaving only direct transfers. Teachers argue this not only reduces flexibility but also ignores the reality on the ground, where swaps have been the easiest way to balance family and work.
Teachers’ Voices: The Pain and Frustration
The tone of teacher complaints is one of betrayal and anger. Many feel that TSC has ignored their input and rolled out a system that was never ready. Some of the quotes from teachers include:
- “Bonoko kabsaa! This is a fake system.”
- “They should go back to the drawing board and give us a legit and working system.”
- “Their ICT experts need a retooling exercise.”
For a system meant to bring dignity and fairness, the rollout has instead amplified frustration.
Why It Matters
The consequences of these failures go far beyond individual inconvenience.
1. Family Separation
Many teachers work hundreds of kilometers from their families. For them, transfers are not a luxury—they are about reuniting with spouses and children. Errors that deny transfers prolong family pain and strain relationships.
2. Morale and Productivity
When years of service are ignored or internship work is not recognized, teachers feel undervalued. This lowers morale and impacts classroom performance, which in turn affects learners.
3. Equity in Staffing
Transfers are also about balancing staffing across counties. A broken system risks creating shortages in some areas while leaving others overstaffed, undermining educational equity.
4. CBC Rollout Impact
With the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) and now Competency-Based Education (CBE) reforms, proper staffing is critical. A faulty transfer system undermines this by keeping teachers stuck in the wrong places.
What Teachers Want TSC to Do
From the heated discussions, teachers are very clear about what needs to change.
- Fix database errors – Ensure sub-counties, schools, and years of service are accurate.
- Repair the OTP system – Make verification instant, not a two-day wait.
- Complete school listings – Teachers must see the full list of schools.
- Recognize interns fairly – Service should count from day one, not just after confirmation.
- Reintroduce swaps – Give teachers more flexible options.
- Retrain ICT staff – Teachers argue the rollout shows a lack of testing and poor software design.
Expert View: Was the Rollout Rushed?
Education ICT experts suggest that the system may have been rushed to launch without full testing. A proper rollout would have involved piloting in a few counties before national launch, stress-testing OTPs with mobile networks, and verifying TSC records with county offices. Instead, teachers feel they were made guinea pigs in a half-baked experiment.
Lessons from Previous TSC Digital Reforms
This is not the first time teachers are raising concerns about digitization at TSC. In previous rollouts, such as the online teacher appraisal system, initial glitches frustrated teachers before gradual improvements were made. In contrast, the onboarding of JSS teachers to the online transfer system earlier this year was welcomed as a breakthrough in service delivery. The difference, teachers argue, is that the JSS integration seemed better tested before going live. This raises the question: why did the 2025 transfer system stumble so badly?
Conclusion
The TSC online transfer system was meant to be a progressive reform. Instead, it has become a source of anger, mistrust, and despair. Teachers feel ignored, misrepresented, and unfairly treated. One teacher summarized the mood best:
“They should go back to the drawing board and give us a legit and working system. Their ICT experts need a retooling exercise.”
For TSC, the choice is clear: fix the system immediately or risk losing the trust of thousands of teachers. A reform that was supposed to empower educators has instead exposed weaknesses in ICT planning and execution. In a profession already strained by workload, delayed promotions, and union disputes, the least teachers expect is a functional, fair, and reliable transfer platform. Until then, the online transfer system remains—ironically—a transfer problem, not a solution.
Key Takeaway for Teachers
Always cross-check your TSC payslip against your bank statement every month. Report any unexplained deductions immediately to your bank, SACCO, and TSC. Stay informed through trusted platforms like kenyanteachers.com, where we track salary updates, TSC reforms, and union matters. As TSC’s reforms continue, teachers must remain vigilant, vocal, and engaged in ensuring that systems built to serve them are fit for purpose.
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