TSC Promotions: Parliament Set to Decide Fate of 25,000 Teachers This Week

TSC Promotions: Parliament Set to Decide Fate of 25,000 Teachers.

The fate of 25,252 teachers whose promotions were recently overturned by Parliament is set to be determined on Tuesday when the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) appears before the National Assembly’s Education Committee. The commission will be expected to provide clarity on the promotion criteria and the implementation of previous recommendations made by the lawmakers.

The controversy began after the TSC published the list of successful candidates on April 2, 2025. The announcement followed widespread protests by education stakeholders, including school heads and trade unions, who claimed the promotions were unfair. The Education Committee responded by rejecting the list and demanding an explanation from the commission.

During a previous meeting held on April 14, 2025, members of the committee criticized the TSC for applying non-transparent criteria and for failing to ensure regional balance. Lawmakers alleged that the promotion exercise had disproportionately favored specific counties, excluding qualified candidates from other regions.

Following these concerns, the committee issued several resolutions for the TSC to implement before any promotions could proceed. These included reviewing any promotions granted within six months of a prior elevation and prioritizing teachers who had remained in the same job group for more than seven years, especially those nearing retirement within three years.

The committee, chaired by Julius Melly (MP, Tinderet), further insisted that teachers promoted in the preceding year should not receive another promotion in the subsequent year. This clause could affect those who had received two back-to-back promotions in 2024 and 2025. Parliamentarians also demanded that the TSC ensure regional equity through a proportional distribution of promotions.

Data presented during the April 14 meeting revealed significant disparities. Machakos County had the highest number of promoted teachers at 690, while Garissa County had the lowest at 303. Analysis indicated only slight differences in allocation across counties, regardless of the number of applicants or staffing needs.

The promotions affected teachers across nine grades, from C2 to D5. The majority fell within grades C4 and C5, with 8,508 and 5,425 teachers respectively. Others included 4,971 to grade C3, 2,519 to D1, 1,445 to C2, and 1,410 to D3. Senior executive promotions included 799 to D2, 128 to D4, and 47 to D5.

Behind-the-Scenes

A committee member revealed that after the April 14 session, top leadership from both the Education Committee and the TSC held an informal meeting. During this closed-door discussion, TSC CEO Nancy Macharia was questioned about the advisory role she played in the process. She reportedly stated that her guidance had been disregarded by the TSC board, contributing to the ongoing impasse.

The uproar was fueled by the Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (KESSHA), which criticized the TSC for applying uniform allocation without considering population sizes or staffing shortages in specific areas.

Macharia, speaking at the Kenya National Schools Principals Forum in Mombasa last month, defended the process, asserting that it had been conducted fairly. She expressed hope for an amicable resolution so that deserving teachers could begin benefiting from their new positions.

She said many stakeholders had raised objections even before the promotion results were formally released. Macharia addressed the principals directly, telling them that their hard work and commitment were the reasons many of them had steadily progressed in their careers. “Year after year, many of you have earned deserved promotions and risen to the highest ranks. It’s because you take your work seriously,” she said.

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All TSC commissioners and the CEO are scheduled to appear before the committee on Tuesday. They are expected to report on the progress made in implementing Parliament’s resolutions. The session may result in the revision of the current promotions list—some names might be removed while others who were previously excluded may be added.

The outcome of this meeting could finally bring resolution to a matter that has left thousands of teachers in limbo, awaiting confirmation of their promotions and the accompanying salary increases.

TSC Promotions: Parliament Set to Decide Fate of 25,000 Teachers.