KNUT, KUPPET Dispute TSC Stance On Teacher’s Promotion Stagnation, Wants Data Released
Omboko Milemba, the chairman of the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET), requested that the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) supply precise data on the number of teachers who had stagnated in the same job category for years.
In an interview with KTN News on Monday, January 2, Milemba argued that the TSC’s stance on the stagnation of teachers was inconsistent with the commission’s own data.
According to him, over a thousand teachers who were eligible for promotion were in the same job category, with some having waited 15 years for a promotion.
The truth according to unions is that teachers have stagnated in the same job group for as long as fifteen years, fourteen years, and nine years, which is the most common.
According to Milemba, the TSC must have better data than than that of KUPPET, as it is the employer of teachers and should speak accurately on this matter.
“This is more than 1,800 teachers who have stagnated in the same job group,” Milemba stated.
Collins Oyuu, secretary general of the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT), challenged TSC to provide the real number of teachers eligible for promotion, confirming his position.
“Quite a number of teachers have stagnated in one job group. TSC says that it is the career progression guidelines that have made these teachers stagnate in those job groups but we are saying they have to be promoted,” Oyuu demanded.
Moreover, the union leaders requested that TSC investigate the compensation owing to the impacted teachers throughout the years.
In their joint appeal, the two leaders emphasized the situation of teachers who functioned as acting headteachers, department heads, and deputy headteachers and demanded that they be appropriately compensated.
The KUPPET Chairman stated that about Ksh2 billion is owed for teachers’ unpaid work as deputies, heads of departments, and principals. These bills have not been tallied due to teachers’ inability to perform their duties as deputies, heads of departments, and principals.
Members of Parliament were eager to ensure that compensation for all teachers, including those in retirement, is commensurate with their individual job groups when they issued these declarations.
During an appearance before the National Assembly Committee on Education, TSC’s Chief Executive Officer, Nancy Macharia, rejected the stagnation claims.
The Commission began the process of promoting nearly 14,000 teachers in 2022 to meet the number for school principals and their deputies and other leadership positions.
Candidates for promotions were needed to submit applications on TSC’s website prior to the January 23 deadline.
TSC stated, “In accordance with this mandate, the Commission invites applications from qualified teachers for the positions listed below in accordance with the Teachers Career Progression Guidelines.”
KNUT, KUPPET Dispute TSC Stance On Teacher’s Promotion Stagnation, Wants Data Released
