The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has confirmed that it will not retract the teacher promotion list released last month, which was based on interviews conducted in January and February of this year. Senior TSC officials have stated that the situation will remain unchanged, even as both the Parliament and Senate intensify their investigations into the recent promotions.
Officials indicated that teachers listed for promotion will begin receiving their appointment letters this week. Concerns about the transparency and fairness of the promotion process were raised by Members of Parliament (MPs), some of whom accused the TSC of bias after it was revealed that some teachers promoted last year were again included in this year’s list.
Last week, the Senate initiated a thorough investigation in response to widespread allegations of unfair promotions. During a debate, the Senate Education Committee, led by Senator Betty Montet, accused the TSC of corruption and demanded a detailed explanation for the selection of 25,252 teachers for promotion nationwide.
Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka questioned whether the TSC had followed principles of merit, fairness, and inclusivity. He emphasized the need for an inquiry into why long-serving teachers with higher qualifications were overlooked in favor of younger teachers with less experience.
Onyonka also sought clarification on the promotion distribution model, particularly why densely populated counties with more teachers received fewer promotions. The Senate’s demand for answers reflects growing dissatisfaction among MPs, who previously expressed concerns that the promotion process seemed biased towards certain regions.
Nominated Senator Esther Okenyuri accused some TSC officials of soliciting bribes from teachers seeking promotions. She highlighted the disparity in promotions, noting that some teachers with over 17 years of service were not promoted, while others with just one year of experience were. Okenyuri described the TSC leadership as “corrupt to the core” and called for a complete overhaul to restore integrity.
Senators also requested clarification on whether there is an appeal process for aggrieved teachers and the number of complaints that have been lodged and resolved. They stressed the importance of handling these grievances transparently to restore trust among teachers.
The committee plans to summon TSC officials to explain how the promotion process was conducted and what measures are being taken to address ongoing issues of career stagnation. The widespread dissatisfaction among lawmakers indicates a significant crisis of confidence in the TSC’s management.
When TSC CEO Dr. Nancy Macharia appeared before the National Assembly’s Constitutional Implementation Oversight Committee, she stated that the Commission is unable to promote enough teachers due to insufficient funding. She presented a report on the TSC’s progress in fulfilling its constitutional mandate and the challenges it faces in delivering effective services.
Dr. Macharia warned of a potential education crisis caused by inadequate budget allocations for teacher promotions and deployments. She noted that the government currently allocates 1 billion shillings annually for promotions, which is not enough to meet the needs of the growing number of eligible teachers. She explained that this funding only allows for the promotion of 6,000 teachers out of a teaching workforce of over 500,000, which continues to demoralize deserving teachers and affects service delivery in schools.
Dr. Macharia stated that the TSC requires 5 billion shillings annually to adequately promote teachers and prevent stagnation. In the 2024 fiscal year, the TSC promoted a total of 19,943 teachers after being allocated 1 billion shillings in the 2023-2024 budget. This year, the TSC identified 25,252 teachers for promotion following interviews in January and February, and they will be issued appointment letters before being assigned to schools with vacancies.
MPs continued to press for equity in promotions, questioning the unclear criteria used, especially in constituencies that received as few as five promotions. Tiaty MP William Kamket argued that if promotions were distributed equally across the 290 constituencies, they should have received at least 80.
Despite the scrutiny, the TSC maintains that it is working within its limitations and is committed to improving teacher welfare across the country. The Commission attributes the promotion bottleneck and staffing imbalances to inadequate funding and has called on Parliament to revise policies to facilitate more sustainable planning.
