Kuppet slams TSC over 'skewed' promotions, demands system overhaul

(Left) Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) National Vice Chairman Julius Korir with Deputy Secretary General, Moses Thuranira when addressing the press on the unequal promotion of teachers across the country on January 30, 2022 at the union headquaters in Nairobi.[ Kanyiri Wahito Standard] The Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) is pushing for major reforms in the teacher promotion system, citing stagnation and unfair distribution of vacancies as key concerns. This is after the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) announced promotions for 28,288 teachers across various grades this year. However, KUPPET's Deputy Secretary-General, Moses Nthurima, criticized the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) for a skewed promotion process. Nthurima said this has disadvantaged many educators; particularly in areas with many teacher's demands. "A county with over 11,000 teachers is being allocated the same number of vacancies as another with just 1,000 teachers. This means that a teacher in a smaller county is ten times more likely to get promoted compared to one in a populous county," Nthurima said. This comes as the union demands a solution to the plight of 130,000 teachers who have been stuck in the same job group for over five years. Nthurima further calls for a review of the fast-track promotion policy for teachers in Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASAL), arguing that it has created disparities instead of addressing staffing challenges in hardship areas. "The fast track, meant to improve staffing in hardship areas, has become a major cause of inequality. Under the current appraisal system, teachers in ASAL regions who have acted in administrative positions for just six months are confirmed in their roles, while more qualified teachers from other areas are left out," he said. KUPPET insists that the ASAL classification has outlived its relevance and should be reviewed to ensure fairness in promotions. Nthurima pointed out that while funds had been allocated for promotions, some were redirected to hiring new teachers. "The union does not oppose the hiring of new teachers, but the priority should be to promote those who have been overlooked for years. The longer they remain in the same job group, the more they lose out in terms of career progression and morale," he said. This comes even as union leaders continue to push for scrapping of the promotion criteria introduced in the 2017 known as Career Progression Guidelines (CPGs). Nthurima criticised the guidelines as a significant obstacle to career advancement. "These rules have left many experienced teachers unable to qualify for deputy headteacher roles, forcing them to wait years for job group changes," he said. KUPPET has also raised concerns that promotions are tied exclusively to administrative roles, leaving no advancement opportunities for teachers who wish to remain in classroom teaching. One of KUPPET's key demands is the automatic promotion of teachers based on progressive experience rather than academic qualifications. "The failure by TSC and the Ministry of Education to publish the list of teachers to be promoted under the Presidential Award for excellence in drama, music, and sports is disappointing. This award, introduced in 2023, has brought fairness to the promotion process by recognizing excellence in co-curricular activities," Nthurima said. During last year's strike, KUPPET Secretary-General Akelo Misori called on TSC to urgently address the issue of stagnation. "There is a serious crisis of career stagnation in the teaching service, as seen in the high number of teachers who have not earned any promotion for more than five years," said Misori. The demand for career advancement is overwhelming, as evidenced by the 189,948 applications received for just 25,288 promotion vacancies this year. These included 9,179 vacancies in post-primary schools and 16,109 in primary schools. Interviews for the promotions have been going on at the sub-county level, 96,640 primary school teachers were interviewed from January 13 to 24, 2025. For post-primary positions, 44,043 teachers in grades C3 to D2 will undergo interviews at the county level from January 27 to February 7, while 7,224 principals and teachers in grades D3 to D5 will face interviews at regional headquarters within the same period.

Kuppet slams TSC over 'skewed' promotions, demands system overhaul

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