Unemployed teachers in Kenya have taken to social media to protest the Teachers Service Commission (TSC)’s replacement policy which they claim locks out non-local applicants despite their high scores in the recruitment process.
Why Are Teachers Protesting?
TSC’s 2024 teacher replacement policy prioritizes hiring local teachers within a sub-county first before considering other applicants. This has led to many qualified teachers traveling long distances only to be disqualified in favor of local candidates.
Frustrated teachers are now demanding equality across all TSC job levels and want the same “local-first” policy to apply to Curriculum Support Officers (CSOs), Human Resource Officers, Sub-County and County Directors, and Regional Directors.
TSC’s Local-First Hiring Policy Explained
According to TSC CEO Nancy Macharia, the vetting panels—headed by TSC Sub-County Directors—were instructed to prioritize local teachers.
“Priority should be given to local applicants. Non-local applicants can only be considered once all local applicants have been exhausted,” the guidelines state.
This meant non-local teachers were automatically disqualified, despite scoring higher in the recruitment scoresheet.
TSC’s hiring priority was as follows:
1️⃣ Local teachers within the sub-county
2️⃣ Local teachers within the county
3️⃣ Local teachers within the region
4️⃣ Teachers from other counties (only if no local applicants qualify)
Unemployed teachers have termed this policy discriminatory, saying it promotes tribalism and denies equal opportunities to all qualified teachers.
TSC’s Rationale for the Policy
TSC officials defended the move, saying:
✔️ Protects unemployed teachers from their own local areas
✔️ Reduces transfer requests by ensuring teachers remain in their home counties
✔️ Minimizes teacher shortages, as many non-local teachers seek transfers after employmentNon-local teachers have been blamed for disrupting the education system when they request transfers immediately after being hired.
TSC Teacher Replacement Exercise 2024
- The teacher replacement exercise started on February 17 and will end by May.
- Successful candidates will start receiving employment and posting letters in mid-March.
- Teachers hired under this replacement are on permanent and pensionable terms.
Number of Teaching Posts Declared by TSC
✅ Primary Schools: 5,862 posts
✅ Junior Secondary Schools (JSS): 21 posts
✅ Secondary Schools: 2,824 posts
New Changes in the 2024 Teacher Replacement Process
- Intern teachers were allowed to apply for full-time positions for the first time.
- Interns received 50 bonus marks on the replacement scoresheet.
- 1,645 JSS intern teachers successfully transitioned to secondary school jobs.
Many JSS teachers want to shift to secondary schools due to heavy workloads, unclear career growth, poor infrastructure, and lack of motivation in JSS.
Required Documents for TSC Verification
Teachers must present original and photocopies of the following during the verification process:
Primary School Teachers:
✔️ National ID
✔️ TSC Registration Certificate
✔️ PTE Certificate or UDPTE for upgraded teachers
✔️ KCSE and KCPE Certificates
✔️ School Leaving Certificates
✔️ Affidavit (if names differ on documents)
JSS & Secondary School Teachers:
✔️ National ID
✔️ TSC Registration Certificate
✔️ Diploma/Degree Certificate & Transcripts
✔️ KCSE & KCPE Certificates
✔️ School Leaving Certificates
✔️ Affidavit (if names differ on documents)
Intern teachers only need to present their National ID.
After verification, TSC will compile a Merit List which will be publicly accessible upon request as per Data Protection Act, 2019.
What’s Next?
The ongoing protests show growing frustration among unemployed teachers who feel denied equal opportunities despite meeting TSC requirements.
With thousands of teachers now demanding fairness, will TSC reconsider local only interviews or will the protests get fiercer?