MPs raise concerns over teachers' promotions, cite lack of transparency

The ongoing process of promoting 25,000 teachers continues to stir widespread debate, with concerns mounting over the fair distribution of promotion slots across various regions.

The National Assembly’s Education Committee has questioned the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) on the transparency of the interview process and the criteria used to determine who qualified for the promotions.

The committee further questioned why the policy requiring teachers to have at least three years of experience before promotion was reduced to just six months.

Cmmittee Chair and Tinderet MP Julius Melly said: "You are now telling us that you have promoted everyone and you have reduced the number of months..."

“We have several teachers who are actually in acting positions, and because they could not meet the three-year requirement, that is why the commission lowered the experience threshold,” TSC Chair Jamleck Muturi responded.

Committee members also raised concerns over inconsistencies in the data provided by the TSC, calling for clarity and accountability in the process.

A few Kilometers away from Parliament, civil society organizations under the Elimu Bora Working Group raised the alarm over steep budget cuts in the education sector, warning that more than a million students risk being excluded from school.

 “Whereas the Government of Kenya’s Economic Survey 2023 indicates that 8.2 million learners were in primary schools in 2024, the FY2025/2026 budget estimates only target 6.97 million learners, implying that 1.3 million learners have been excluded,” Cornelius Oduor.

The Civil Rights Caucus is urging the government to increase the education budget, warning that if the current budget policy is passed as it stands, it could make education inaccessible for learners from disadvantaged backgrounds.