TSC needs needs Sh3 billion to promote over 178,000 stagnated teachers

The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has stated that it needs Sh3 billion to promote over 178,000 primary and secondary school teachers who have been stuck in the same job groups for years.

During a session with the National Assembly Education Committee on Tuesday, TSC Chief Executive Officer Nancy Macharia explained that the long-standing stagnation is due to years of insufficient funding, which has hindered the implementation of career progression guidelines.

“Insufficient budget allocations have greatly affected teachers’ career advancement. This stagnation has led to complaints from unions, decreased morale, and increased turnover in the profession,” Macharia noted.

She was addressing inquiries from the committee, led by Kasipul MP and Vice-Chair Eve Obara, while defending the commission against claims of biased promotion practices and favoritism.

Macharia informed the MPs that only Sh2 billion was allocated for teacher promotions in the 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 financial years, a sum she indicated is far below the Sh35 billion needed to address the promotion backlog.

Out of the 178,871 teachers awaiting promotion, 151,611 have been promoted over the past two years, with 75,090 promoted through common cadre promotions and 76,521 through competitive processes.

In the current financial year, 25,252 teachers have been promoted following interviews held earlier this year.

However, Macharia mentioned that 381 positions advertised in November and December 2024 remain unfilled due to budgetary and logistical issues.

She disclosed that 5,690 teachers applied for the November 2024 promotions, while 19,943 applications were received the following month.

The CEO also informed lawmakers that although the commission requested Sh2 billion from the National Treasury for promotions this year, it was only allocated Sh1 billion, which again falls short of its requirements.

Her comments come amid growing criticism from the Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (KESSHA), which has condemned the TSC for what it describes as unfair and discriminatory promotion practices.

KESSHA has particularly criticized the commission’s quota-based system, arguing that it demoralizes teachers and creates inequality in career advancement.

Nevertheless, the TSC has maintained that any additional funding would be used to ensure fair and timely promotions to address the longstanding concerns of educators.