The National Assembly’s Education Committee has rejected the TSC’s list of 25,252 promoted teachers, terming it as unfair, scandalous and fraudulent. The MPs said TSC failed to observe the principles of equity and regional balance.
The committee, chaired by Tinderet MP Julius Melly, grilled TSC officials during a stormy sitting, demanding to see all the documents used in the promotions exercise. The lawmakers questioned the transparency and equity of the process, saying some understaffed counties had more promotions than more populated regions.
MPs Want Accountability and Raw Data
MPs asked TSC to provide:
- A list of all applicants per sub-county.
- Interview scores for each candidate.
- Data on teachers who have served for more than 3 years in each sub-county.
- A list of teachers promoted in the last 3 years to identify repeated promotions.
“Equity is missing in this entire document and we can’t proceed like this. You were given money, we gave you the money and what you have done is a disservice to this country and the teachers,” said Mr. Melly.
The MPs said there are credible reports that newly employed teachers were promoted, while others who have served for over 20 years are still in the same grade. Several lawmakers termed the promotions a betrayal to long serving teachers.
Harsh Criticism Across the Aisle
- Luanda MP Dick Maungu called it “an injustice to the teaching profession”.
- Baringo North MP Joseph Makilap asked for proof that affirmative action was applied, how teachers who scored lower in interviews were selected over higher scorers.
- Teso South MP Mary Emase asked why the promotion list was published before parliamentary scrutiny. She noted widespread discontent among teachers especially those who were left out despite long service.
- Igembe North MP Julius Taitumu and Moiben MP Phylis Bartoo went further and called it scandalous and skewed, warned that if the process is not redone public will lose trust in TSC.> “If TSC was given another chance to do the process, would they come back with the same list? If not, then it’s a scam,” said Ms Bartoo.
TSC Defends the Process as Unions Reject
TSC CEO Dr Nancy Macharia defended the promotions, saying the commission followed Article 56 of the Constitution which provides for fair representation in public appointments. But her explanation didn’t calm the lawmakers.
Both Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) and Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) have rejected the list, saying it ignores regional disparities and punishes teachers from densely populated areas who face stiff competition.
The promotions were drawn from 5,690 applicants from the November 2024 advertisement and 19,943 from the December round. TSC had requested KSh2 billion to implement the promotions but only KSh1 billion was allocated by the National Treasury—so some lawmakers believe it was a financially compromised and rushed process.
A Growing Crisis of Trust in TSC
The controversy over the promotions has exposed deeper structural issues within TSC’s handling of teacher career progression. Allegations of repeated promotions for the same individuals, favoritism, and poor record-keeping point to a need for urgent reforms and digital transparency mechanisms.
With both Parliament and the teachers’ unions pushing back, the Commission may be forced to review and restructure its promotion framework to restore trust and uphold equity in the education sector.
