The Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) has vehemently opposed the Teachers Service Commission’s (TSC) recent decision to allocate the 19,000 available promotion slots equally among all 47 counties. The move, which sees each county receiving 404 promotion opportunities, has sparked widespread criticism, particularly from counties with a high number of teachers awaiting career progression.
KUPPET officials argue that this blanket allocation is unfair, as it disadvantages counties such as Kiambu, Kakamega, and Nairobi, which have thousands of teachers waiting for promotions. In contrast, counties in Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASAL) with fewer teachers stand to benefit disproportionately.
The teachers’ union has also accused TSC of promoting newly recruited teachers over those who have served in the profession for years. Reports indicate that some teachers have been stuck in the same job group for over 16 years, a situation KUPPET deems unacceptable.
According to KUPPET Deputy Secretary General Moses Nthurima and Chairman Omboko Milemba, the current system appears to favour counties in North Eastern and parts of the Coast region, leaving long-serving teachers in other areas feeling neglected.
“Is it logical to promote a teacher from Wajir who has only served for one year while leaving out another from Kiambu who has been in service for more than seven years in the same grade?” Nthurima questioned.
He further criticised the decision to allocate the same 404 promotion slots to counties with vastly different numbers of teachers. For instance, Kiambu has over 11,000 teachers awaiting promotion, while Isiolo has fewer than 1,000, yet both receive equal slots.
In response to these grievances, KUPPET is pushing for a pro-rata allocation system to ensure fairness, arguing that teachers should be promoted based on merit and length of service rather than regional considerations.
Milemba, who is also an MP, has taken the matter to the parliamentary education committee, urging them to intervene and rectify what he describes as a blatant injustice.
“TSC must halt this promotion exercise immediately until a fair and equitable system is put in place,” he demanded.
The MP also condemned the long-standing practice of keeping teachers in acting positions without formally promoting them, further exacerbating the frustration among educators.
With thousands of teachers stagnating in the same job groups for years, the pressure is mounting on TSC to reconsider its approach and adopt a system that recognises experience, commitment, and service duration. As tensions rise, the fate of thousands of teachers hangs in the balance, awaiting a resolution that will ensure justice and fairness in career progression.
