The TSC is seeking KSh3 billion from the National Assembly to promote over 178,000 primary and secondary school teachers who have been stuck in the same job group for years due to budgetary constraints.
Appearing before the Parliamentary Committee on Education, TSC Chief Executive Officer Dr. Nancy Macharia said lack of funding has hindered the implementation of the Career Progression Guidelines (CPG) leading to rising discontent, low morale and increasing rates of teacher attrition.
“We don’t have sufficient budget to grow the careers of teachers,” Dr. Macharia told the committee. “This stagnation has led to complaints from unions, low morale and increased attrition in the profession.”
Budget Deficit Stalls Promotion Plans
TSC has done some promotion—151,611 teachers in the last two years—but the backlog is huge. Of those promoted:
- 75,090 were promoted through common cadre promotions.
- 76,521 through competitive processes.
But many are still waiting as only KSh2 billion was allocated for teacher promotions in 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 while KSh35 billion is required.
In 2025 alone 25,252 teachers were promoted but 381 positions are still vacant showing the systemic delays and inefficiencies caused by underfunding.
Quota-Based Promotion System Under Fire
The Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association (KESSHA) has also faulted the quota-based promotion system used by TSC saying it’s discriminatory and inconsistent. KESSHA says this system has created disparities in how promotion opportunities are distributed across regions and institutions and has frustrated long serving teachers.
A Call for Urgent Action
The KSh3 billion sought by the Commission is to:
- Clear the promotion backlog.
- Address regional and cadre-based inequalities.
- Motivate a demoralized workforce stuck in stagnation and lack of recognition.Will help to restore confidence in teachers.
