KUPPET Urges TSC to Cancel Over 25,000 Teacher Promotions, Citing Inequitable Distribution

KUPPET Urges TSC to Cancel Over 25,000 Teacher Promotions, Citing Inequitable Distribution

The Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) has requested that the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) annul the recently announced teacher promotions, arguing that the distribution was unfair.

During a press conference on Wednesday, the union asserted that regions with a high number of teachers were disadvantaged in the promotion process.

On the same day, TSC released a list of 25,252 teachers who have been promoted to various positions, which is available on the TSC website and includes candidates who successfully passed interviews earlier this year.

TSC had advertised the promotion vacancies in late 2024, with 5,690 teachers applying in November and 19,943 in December. However, 381 positions remain unfilled.

KUPPET’s Acting Secretary General, Moses Nthurima, stated that the union’s National Executive Board had received numerous complaints from teachers who felt they were unfairly overlooked.

He emphasized that the main issue was the equitable distribution of the 25,252 promotions across all 47 counties, irrespective of differences in staffing levels.

“The clear implication is that teachers in some counties were given preferential treatment, while those in densely populated areas continue to accumulate on merit lists due to intense competition among qualified candidates,” Nthurima explained.

KUPPET has called for a reassessment of the promotion process to ensure fairness, advocating for a merit-based system that takes into account the staffing levels in different counties.

The National Treasury allocated Sh1 billion to the commission for the promotions, although TSC had initially requested Sh2 billion.

This demand follows comments from Murang’a Woman Representative Betty Njeri Maina, who revealed that government-aligned MPs were recently provided with TSC employment letters to distribute to their constituents.

Teachers’ unions have criticized this practice, arguing that it undermines meritocracy and deprives deserving individuals of opportunities in a country facing high unemployment rates among trained teachers.

“We were summoned to State House, and I will say it openly. We were given letters for the employment of teachers. I attended with eleven MPs from Kiambu, and each received twenty letters, totaling 220 letters,” Maina stated.

She further claimed that MPs who did not attend the State House meeting put their constituents at a disadvantage by failing to secure job allocations.

Her comments have reignited concerns about the politicization of teacher recruitment.

Nthurima and Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Deputy Secretary-General Hesbon Otieno cautioned that such political interference could have detrimental effects on the education sector.

“Imagine if MPs are selecting their friends and relatives for employment while those who graduated in 2016 are still waiting for jobs. Will you get a job just because you know a politician? What kind of image are we projecting?” Nthurima questioned.

He cautioned that this practice undermines the principle of meritocracy, emphasizing that hiring in the education sector should be based solely on merit.

“We want to express our disagreement with the TSC. How can they distribute employment forms to politicians? This is regrettable because it politicizes education, which is not the right approach,” he remarked.

Hesbon Otieno from KNUT also raised concerns, stating that political interference would disrupt staffing standards at the TSC and result in an unequal distribution of teachers nationwide.

Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya added his perspective, noting that the letters were only provided to certain leaders who are aligned with the government.

“Those with financial resources receive their letters; those without must depend on government assistance. This practice is putting the most vulnerable and deserving teachers at a disadvantage,” Natembeya stated.

The Kenya Kwanza government had committed to hiring 116,000 teachers within two years of taking office, with 56,000 permanent teachers and 20,000 intern teachers already recruited.

KUPPET has also opposed the government’s suggestion to make Mathematics an optional subject at the senior school level, arguing that this would weaken workforce development and educational standards.

Nthurima asserted that making Mathematics optional would harm students’ academic and professional prospects.

“KUPPET rejects the government’s proposal to make Mathematics an optional subject at the senior school level,” he stated.

“Mathematics is a crucial subject for developing a skilled workforce for the 21st century. In fact, Mathematics is widely applicable in all other fields, including the humanities, sports, and of course, STEM.”