The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) will from February next year issue thousands of promotion letters to teachers following promotion interviews it carried out countrywide in October this year.
TSC also plans to release remaining 980 letters this December for teachers who attended promotion interviews in January and February this year.
A source who spoke on anonymity says funds availability is affecting how promotion letters are released.
The Commission had shortlisted a total of 64,619 teachers who had applied for the 21,313 promotion slots advertised in August.
The promotions covered teachers from job group C1 to D4 which also included the Curriculum Support Officers (CSOs).
The interviews for primary school teacher applicants ran from 6th to 10th October while that for post primary institutions (secondary and TTC), and Curriculum Support Officers (CSOs) which were to run from 13th to 24th October were later rescheduled to 21st October through Thursday, 23rd October following death of former PM Raila Odinga.
However the promotions only favoured aged teachers. TSC only invited aged teachers, a paradigm shift from previous interviews.
In the scoresheet teachers promotions were largely based on age, year of service in current grade and whether one acted as school administrator.
Teachers aged 52 to 56 years scored 25 marks, 47 to 51 years got 20 marks while those aged below 41 years scored 10 marks.
The years a teacher served in current grade was also key in this years promotion.
Those who served for at least seven years in same job group were awarded 30 marks.
Six, five, four and three years scored 25, 20, 15 and 10 marks respectively according to the promotion scoresheet.
However the promotion slots are likely to go up next year after a pledge by President William Ruto who committed to increase the number of teacher promotions from the current 25,000 to 50,000 annually.
While speaking during a State House meeting with teachers, Ruto said his government will increase allocation for teacher promotions from sh 1 billion to sh 2 billion yearly.
TSC declared a total of 14,034 teacher promotions in December 2022, 36,275 in September 2023, 25,633 in 2024 and 21,313 in August 2025 bringing the total promotions to 97,255 since President Ruto’s tenure.
Below is a circular that was issued by TSC to guide the October teacher promotions for both primary and post primary institutions as well CSO’s.
TEACHERS SERVICE COMMISSION
Our Ref: TSC/ADM/192A/VOL.X/63
Date: 11th September 2025
CONDUCTING OF PROMOTIONAL INTERVIEWS FOR TEACHERS AND CURRICULUM SUPPORT OFFICERS (CSOs) IN 2025/2026 FINANCIAL YEAR
The Commission advertised 21,313 Teacher and Curriculum Support Officer promotional posts from Tuesday, 12th August to Monday, 25th August 2025.
Accordingly, applicants have been shortlisted and as a result, you are required to conduct the promotional interviews as outlined below.
The Circular should be read together with Promotional Guidelines for Teachers, Circular No. 8/2025 dated 11th August 2025, available on the Commissions website.
1) Interview Dates
The promotional interviews will be conducted in two (2) phases:
a) Phase 1: Primary School Candidates
1.1 The Interviews shall be conducted from 6th – 10th October, 2025 (5 days)
1.2 Candidates to be interviewed during this period are all shortlisted primary school candidates for all grades. Table 1 gives the list of the adverts.
Table 1: Primary School Teachers Adverts (C2 to D1 grade)
S/No. Advert No. Advert Name Candidates
1 16 & 17/2025 Senior Headteacher – D1 grade 6,267
2 21/2025 Headteacher – C5 grade 5,483
3 24 & 25/2025 Deputy Headteacher II- C4 grade 2,132
4 31 & 32/2025 Senior Teacher I – C3 grade 8,850
5 33 & 34/2025 Senior Teacher II – C2 grade 24,717
Total 47,449
a) Phase 1: Post Primary Institutions and Curriculum Support Officers
1.3 The interviews shall be conducted from 13th – 24th October, 2025 (10 days)
1.4 Candidates to be interviewed during this period are all shortlisted Post Primary candidates and Curriculum Support Officers for all grades. Table 2 and 3 gives the list of the adverts.
Table 2: Post Primary School Teacher Adverts (C3 to D2 grades – County Level)
S/No Advert No. Advert Name Candidates
1 9, 10 & 11/2025 Deputy Principal II – D2 grade 3,179
2 12/2025 Senior Lecturer I – D2 grade 66
3 15/2025 Deputy Principal III – D1 grade 1,221
4 18/2025 Senior Lecturer II – D1 grade 103
5 23/2025 Senior Master III – C5 grade 2,968
6 22/2025 Senior Lecturer III – C5 grade 61
7 27 & 28/2025 Senior Master IV – C4 grade 2,581
8 26/2025 Senior Lecturer IV – C4 grade 120
9 30/2025 Secondary Teacher I – C3 grade 2,211
Total 12,510
Table 3: Post Primary School Principles and CSOs (C5 to D5 grades – Regional Level)
S/No. Advert No. Advert Name Candidates
1 3 & 4/2025 Chief Principal – D5 grade 374
2 5 & 6/2025 Senior Principal – D4 grade 3,216
3 7 & 8/2025 Principal and Principal SNE – D3 grade 80
4 13/2025 Senior Curriculum Support Officer – D2 68
5 14/2025 Curriculum Support Officer I – D1 grade 362
6 19 & 20/2025 Curriculum Support Officer II – C5 560
Total 4,660
2) Interview Dates and Venues
2.1 Phase 1: Interviews for Primary School Candidates
2.1.1 The Interviews for all Primary school candidates listed in Table 1 shall be conducted at the Sub County level under the leadership of the TSC Sub County Director.
2.1.2 The TSC County Director shall share the lists with the TSC Sub County Director. The Sub County Director shall convene the Sub County Interview Panel(s) to prepare the Sub County Interview programme guided by the interview schedules provided.
2.1.3 The TSC Sub County Director in liason with their respective TSC Director, shall invite all shortlisted candidates in writing through letters (templates attached) communicating the following: the date, time and venue of the interview and to inform candidates the documents to present during interviews.
2.1.4 Invitations for interviews to commence from Tuesday, 16th September 2025, to ensure candidates receive at least seven (7) days notice before their interview date.
2.1.5 The TSC Sub County Director in liason with their respective TSC County Directors MUST ensure that venues for the interviews are accessible to candidates with disability.
2.2 Phase 2
a) Interviews for shortlisted Post Primary Candidates for Grades C3 to D2
2.2.1 The interviews for shortlisted applicants for Grades C3 to D2 Post Primary candidates as listed in Table 2 above shall be conducted at the County level through the County Interview Panels under the leadership of the TSC County Director.
2.2.2 The TSC County Director shall convene the County Interview Panel(s) to prepare the County interview programmes guided by the interview schedules provided.
2.2.3 The TSC County Director shall invite all shortlisted candidates in writing through letters (templates attached) communicating the following: the date, time and venue of the interview and to inform candidates the documents to present during interviews.
2.2.4 Invitations for interviews to commence from Tuesday, 16th September, 2025, to ensure candidates receive at least seven (7) days notice before their interview date.
2.2.5 County Director MUST ensure that venues for the interviews are accessible to candidates with disability.
b) Interviews for shortlisted Post Primary Principals and Curriculum Support Officers
2.2.6 The interviews for shortlisted applicants for Grades C5 to D5 Post Primary candidates/CSOs as listed in Table 3 above shall be conducted at the Regional level under the leadership of the TSC Regional Director.
2.2.7 The TSC Regional Director shall prepare the Regional interview programmes guided by the interview schedule provided.
2.2.8 The TSC Regional Director shall invite all shortlisted candidates in writing through letters (templates provided) communicating the following the date, time and venue of the interview and to inform candidates the documents to present during interviews.
2.2.9 Invitations for interviews to commence from Tuesday, 16th September, 2025, to ensure candidates receive at least seven (7) days notice before their interview date.
2.2.10 The Regional Director MUST ensure that venues for the interviews are accessible to candidates with disability.