TSC Postpones Teacher Promotions Due to Severe Funding Shortage

TSC Postpones Teacher Promotions Due to Severe Funding Shortage

Approximately 179,000 teachers in primary and secondary schools are stuck in the same job group because of insufficient funding.

During a session with the National Assembly Education Committee, led by Kasipul MP Eve Obara, Teachers Service Commission (TSC) CEO Dr. Nancy Macharia highlighted the troubling reality that teachers’ career advancement is being hindered.

Dr. Macharia stated that TSC requires Sh3 billion to promote 178,871 teachers who have qualified for advancement but have remained in their current positions for years.

“The lack of adequate budgetary support has greatly hindered teachers’ career development. This stagnation has led to complaints from unions, decreased morale, and increased turnover in the profession,” Dr. Macharia informed the lawmakers.

Her comments come amid rising dissatisfaction among teachers, who accuse TSC of favoritism in promotions and criticize the commission’s quota system for unfairly excluding deserving candidates.

In response to accusations of bias, Macharia explained that TSC was allocated only Sh2 billion for teacher promotions over the last two financial years, which is significantly less than the Sh3.5 billion required to address the backlog.

Despite these challenges, TSC managed to promote 151,611 teachers during that time—75,090 through common cadre promotions and 76,521 through competitive processes.

In the current financial year, 25,252 teachers have already been promoted following interviews conducted earlier. However, the CEO acknowledged that 381 advertised positions remain unfilled despite high interest.

Last November, TSC received 5,690 applications, followed by another 19,943 in December.

“Although we requested Sh2 billion from the National Treasury for this year’s promotions, only Sh1 billion was allocated,” Macharia noted.

Many teachers believe that the quota system, which assigns promotion slots based on region or category, unfairly disadvantages diligent individuals, especially in densely populated areas with intense competition.

In rural regions, logistical challenges exacerbate the situation—interviews may not be conducted promptly, and some schools remain understaffed as experienced teachers leave in frustration.

While TSC has successfully promoted thousands despite limited funds, the extent of the backlog remains overwhelming. Without immediate action and ongoing budgetary support, many more teachers will continue to experience frustration and burnout.

“Our teachers are the foundation of this nation’s future. We must support them—not just with words, but with resources and action,” Obara stressed.