The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has indicated a requirement of Sh3 billion to facilitate the promotion of over 178,000 primary and secondary school teachers who have experienced prolonged stagnation within their respective job groups.
During a session with the National Assembly Education Committee on Tuesday, TSC Chief Executive Officer Nancy Macharia attributed this persistent stagnation to years of inadequate funding, which she claimed has severely hindered the execution of career progression guidelines. Macharia stated, “Insufficient budgetary allocations have significantly obstructed the professional advancement of teachers. This stagnation has elicited grievances from unions, diminished morale, and contributed to increased attrition rates within the teaching profession.”
In her testimony, Macharia addressed inquiries from the committee, chaired by Kasipul MP and Vice-Chair Eve Obara, while defending the commission against allegations of biased promotion practices and favoritism. She noted that for the 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 fiscal years, only Sh2 billion had been allocated for teacher promotions, a figure that is substantially lower than the Sh35 billion necessary to resolve the existing promotion backlog.
Macharia reported that out of the 178,871 teachers awaiting promotion, 151,611 had received promotions over the past two years, with 75,090 promoted through common cadre promotions and 76,521 through competitive processes. In the current fiscal year alone, 25,252 teachers have been promoted following interviews conducted earlier this year.
Despite these advancements, she highlighted that 381 positions advertised in November and December 2024 remain unfilled due to budgetary and logistical constraints. Furthermore, she disclosed that 5,690 teachers applied for promotions in November 2024, while 19,943 applications were submitted in December.
Macharia also informed lawmakers that although the commission had requested Sh2 billion from the National Treasury for teacher promotions in the current fiscal year, it was allocated only Sh1 billion, which again falls short of the commission’s requirements.
Her statements occur amidst growing criticism from the Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (KESSHA), which has condemned the TSC for what it perceives as inequitable and discriminatory promotion practices. KESSHA has particularly criticized the commission’s quota-based system, arguing that it demoralizes teachers and fosters inequality in career advancement.
Nevertheless, the TSC has maintained that any additional funding would be utilized to ensure equitable and timely promotions, thereby addressing the longstanding grievances of educators.
