The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has revealed that only 30,000 educators will receive promotions this year, falling short of the 50,000 positions previously assured by President William Ruto.
Acting Chief Executive Eveleen Mitei made the disclosure on May 13 during a meeting with the National Assembly’s Education Committee, addressing persistent issues affecting the education sector nationwide.
The reduction of 20,000 promotion opportunities for the post-July 2026 period has caught educators off guard, particularly since the budget was increased from Ksh1 billion to Ksh2 billion for the 2026/2027 fiscal period.
“Teachers had prepared themselves for 50, openings based on the President’s assurance. Learning that Ksh2 billion only accommodates 30,000 individuals is a tremendous blow to our community,” stated an Assistant Treasurer from the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) following the hearing.
This decision has intensified concerns that ongoing delays in teacher advancement will persist, with faculty members having long complained about what they call widespread career stagnation.
Committee members also voiced worries about unequal promotion opportunities across different regions, urging TSC to guarantee fairness, transparency, and expeditious execution of teacher advancement programs.
Furthermore, the committee has instructed TSC to submit its Teacher Progression Framework for official examination to resolve concerns regarding the promotion methodology.
According to TSC officials, the available funds will only support 30,000 promotions, with the exact figure subject to changes based on positions becoming vacant through retirements, departures, and other factors.
TSC has justified its merit-based evaluation methodology, emphasizing that it gives preference to experienced and senior teachers, which they claim helps reduce the accumulation of pending promotion cases.
Nevertheless, junior and mid-career educators contend that the existing procedure hinders their professional development opportunities.
Promotion patterns during the current leadership have shown inconsistency. Although this year’s objective is lower than what was expected, it represents an improvement over the 21,313 advancements made in August 2025.
In December 2022, 14,034 teachers received promotions, increasing to 36,275 in September 2023, before declining to 25,633 in 2024.
Teachers remain uncertain as Parliament continues its review of the progression framework.