TSC Gives Fresh Directives Regarding The Promotion Lists & Issuance Of Promotion Letters

Despite the Senate and Parliament stepping up their investigation into the recent promotions, top TSC officials have stated that nothing will change and that the listed teachers will begin receiving their appointment letters this week.

 

The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) will not revoke the teacher promotion list it released last month after conducting interviews in January and February of this year.

Members Of Parliaments’ Concerns 

Members of Parliament (MPs) had expressed concerns about the fairness and transparency of the promotion process.

Some legislatures accused TSC of biasness after it emerged some teachers who were promoted last year appeared again in this years promotion list.

 

Last week the Senate weighed in by launching a comprehensive investigation due to widespread allegations of unfair teacher promotions.

Senate Education Committee Accusations

In a debate, the Senate Education Committee, chaired by Senator Betty Montet, accused the commission of corruption and demanded a detailed explanation regarding the selection of 25,252 teachers for promotion nationwide.

 

Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka questioned whether the TSC had adhered to merit, fairness, and inclusivity principles.

He stated, “The Education Committee must inquire and report to this House why long-serving teachers with higher academic qualifications and experienced graduates were either overlooked while younger teachers with fewer qualifications and less experience were promoted, and if so, what the justification for this was.”

 

Onyonka also pressed the commission to clarify the distribution model, particularly questioning why densely populated counties with more teachers received disproportionately fewer promotions.

 

The Senate’s demand for answers comes amid growing discontent among MPs, who previously complained that the promotion exercise appeared biased, favoring certain regions over others.

Senators are now voicing similar frustrations and pushing for a thorough investigation.

 

Nominated Senator Esther Okenyuri did not hold back, accusing some TSC officials of soliciting bribes from teachers seeking career advancement.

Marred Promotions

“In the just-concluded exercise, we have teachers who have been in service for over 17 years but were not promoted. On the other hand, we have teachers who have served for just one year and were promoted. How can that be explained?” Okenyuri asked.

 

Okenyuri went on to describe the TSC leadership as “corrupt to the core” and called for a complete overhaul to restore integrity within the commission.

Senators also demanded that the TSC clarify whether an appeal mechanism exists for aggrieved teachers and disclose the number of complaints lodged and resolved.

 

They emphasized that handling these grievances transparently is crucial for restoring trust among teachers.

 

The committee is expected to summon TSC officials and demand explanations regarding how the promotion exercise was conducted and the measures being taken to address the ongoing issue of career stagnation.

The widespread dissatisfaction among lawmakers indicates a significant crisis of confidence in the TSC’s management.

 

However when TSC CEO Dr. Nancy Macharia appeared before the National Assembly Constitutional Implementation Oversight Committee (CIOC) chaired by Hon. Eric Karemba (Runyenjes), said the Commission is unable to promote sufficient number of teachers due to inadequate funding.

 

She was presenting a report on the Commission’s progress in fulfilling its constitutional mandate and the challenges hindering effective service deliver

Looming Education Crisis 

Macharia warned of a looming education crisis occasioned by inadequate budgetary allocation for the promotion and deployment of teachers across the country.

 

Dr. Macharia noted that although the government currently allocates sh.1 billion annually for teacher promotions, the amount is insufficient to cater to the growing number of eligible teachers.

 

“Honourable Members, while we are grateful for the Kshs.1 billion allocated towards teacher promotions, the amount is only sufficient to promote 6,000 teachers out of a teaching force of over 500,000. This continues to demoralize deserving teachers and affect service delivery in our schools,” Dr. Macharia stated.

 

Macharia said TSC needs sh5 billion annually to promote teachers and effectively avoid stagnation

 

She was responding after the lawmakers raised concerns on teacher promotion challenges

The Commission has been receiving a budget of sh 1 billion each year for promoting teachers which Macharia termed as a drop in the ocean.

 

“With only one billion shillings, we can promote just 6,000 teachers. We need five billion annually to fully address stagnation,” said Macharia.

 

In 2024 TSC promoted a total of 19,943 after it was allocated sh 1 billion in 2023 – 2024 financial budget.

 

This year TSC listed 25,252 teachers who were successfully promoted after attending interviews in January and February.

 

The teachers will be issued with appointment letters before being posted to schools with vacancies.

 

MPs pressed further on the issue of equity in promotions and the unclear criteria used with reports of some constituencies receiving as few as five promotions.

“We had only five teachers promoted out of 25,000. If divided equally across the 290 constituencies, we should have gotten at least 80,” argued Tiaty MP William Kamket.

 

Despite the grilling, the Commission said it continues to work within its constraints and remains committed to improving teacher welfare across the country.

 

The TSC says the promotion bottleneck, staffing imbalance stem from inadequate funding and called on Parliament to review policies to allow for more sustainable planning.