TEACHERS SERVICE COMMISSION
STATUS REPORT ON THE RESOLUTION OF THE DEPARTMENTAL COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION REGARDING TEACHERS PROMOTIONS
22ND MAY 2025
BACKGROUND
The Teachers Service Commission is established under Article 237 (1) of the Constitution with the overall mandate of teacher management and regulation of the teaching service as provided under Article 237(2) and (3) of the Constitution.
As a public organ, the Commission is bound by the National Values and Principals of Governance set out under Article 10 of the Constitution.
To implement the mandate of the Constitution, the Parliament enacted the Teachers Service Commission Act and the Code of Regulations for Teachers (CORT).
The two legislations provide for powers and procedures within the functions of the Commission. Notably, section 11 of the Act requires the Commission to among others, formulate policies to achieve its mandate.
STATUS REPORT OF THE RESOLUTIONS OF THE COMMITTEE
Resolutions Numbers 1, 2, 3 and 5
As earlier presented before the Committee, prior to the publication of the advert in November 2024, the Commission analysed its database to establish whether there were requisite numbers to fill the promotional vacancies totaling 25,252.
As you may recall, the national assembly appropriated Ksh 1 billion for promotion of teachers. This budgetary allocation could only promote 5,690 teachers.
The balance of 19,598 vacancies arose out of exits from 1st July 2024 to 30th June 2025.
The analysis yielded 2 exceptional grades that warranted special treatment. The two grades are: Grades C4 (Deputy Head Teacher) and Grade D3 (Principals).
In the Commissions database, only 598 teachers had served for three years and above in grade D2 as at the date of the advert and therefore, were eligible for promotion to Grade D3 as per the Policy, yet there were 1,410 vacancies in Grade D3.
Similarly, only 7,460 teachers had served for three years in grade C3 as at the date of the advert and therefore were eligible for promotion to Grade C4 as per the Policy, yet there were 3,686 declared vacancies for Deputy Headteacher in Grade C4.
It is important to note that the Commissions standard practice is to shortlist at least three candidates for every advertised vacancy.
This is intended to uphold competitiveness and ensure that the best suited candidates are selected.
In the case of the just concluded promotion exercise, the number of teachers who had met the three year requirement in the feeder grades fell significantly short of the number of vacancies available for both principals and deputy headteachers positions.
As such, to facilitate a competitive promotion process and ensure that the vacancies were filled particularly to address the persistent issue of teachers serving in acting capacities, the Commission made a policy decision to temporarily waive the three year requisite service in one grade and instead allow teachers with a minimum of six months service to apply in the two grades.
In a nutshell, the two Grades which are administrative positions ( Principals and Deputies headteachers) did not have sufficient qualified teachers nationally.
As a result, the Commission waived the three years requisite service in one grade before promotion and substituted it with 6 months service.
The objective of the waiver was twofold: to attract sufficient applicants for these key positions and to address the perennial problem of teachers acting in administrative positions and shortage of applicants, especially in ASAL and Hard to staff areas.
As a result of the waiver, Grade D3 attracted 1,694 applicants against 1,410 available vacancies while Grade C4 attracted 4,521 applicants against 3,686 available vacancies.
Honorable members, you may note that while the Commission had over 10,000 potential applicants for grade C4 (Deputy Headteachers) only 4,521 applied.
Subsequently a total of 1,410 were promoted in grade D3 (Principals) and 3,686 promoted in grade C4 (Deputy headteacher) positions across the country.
As earlier presented before this Committee, out of the 25,252 teachers promoted a total of 5,291 teachers were promoted without the requisite three years in service in one grade.
Out of 5,291 teachers promoted without the requisite three years, 3,427 are in grades D3 and C4 described.
The Commission requests that these teachers be retained since the two grades did not attract the requisite numbers nationally as described above.
However in compliance with the Committees recommendations, the balance of 1,864 teachers who were promoted but have not met the requisite three year requirement has been removed from the promotion list.
In compliance with the Committees resolutions, the vacancies created from the above have been redistributed proportionally across the country based on the number of interviewed applicants.
Priority has been given to teachers who have served for seven years in one grade and have three years to retire from service. Appendix 1 is a table showing redistribution of teachers promoted per County.
Resolutions 4 and 6
Development of Promotion Guidelines
In accordance with the Committees resolution Number 4, the Commission has resolved that going forward, it will develop, publicize and disseminate Promotion Guidelines clearly setting out standardized promotion criteria and procedures for promotion to ensure the process is fair, transparent and accountable.
In developing the guidelines, the Commission will undertake public participation as required under Article 10 of the Constitution.
To this end the Commission will consult with key stakeholders including teacher unions, Associations and teachers in general before the same is adopted.
Regarding Resolution Number 6, the Commission will ensure total compliance with the Constitutional Principles of equity, inclusiveness and non-descrimination.
The Commission will apply the principle of Affirmative Action in its promotion processes while adhering to the provisions of its policies regarding eligibility for promotion.
CONCLUSION
The Commission appreciates the support from the Departmental Committee on Education. This support has been instrumental in addressing staffing gaps, teacher motivation and retention across the country.
The Commission remains committed to working closely with the Committee and all the stakeholders to ensure efficient and effective implementation of its mandate.
END
It was very surprising with first list of teachers promotion.there were retired TSC NO for retired teachers.l wonder if this problem was solved.Again why were they put there???
Tsc have made a tremendous step in teacher promotion. congrats outgoing CEO Daktari Nancy.May God bless you.
Wondering, could the CPG, be the cause of these gaps? Why do we have unqualified people in some job groups?
And nobody has commented about C5, which is required before the D.
THIS IS A LONG TERM PROBLEM CREATED BY CPG.
When are we expecting the promotion letters?
Teaches have suffered so much with stagnation in same job group and are just retiring yet TSC was all along aware of the situation.So how does it solve such situation now?
Tsc has undergone tremendous milestone on welfare of the teachers. What will happen to teachers e.g who ate promoted at age 58 and they shall not meet the three years requisite when vacancies arises?I think the TSC had looked at it positively in her previous promotions. But with ‘interferance’ by departmental committee… All in all the TSC of late she is on right track!!
Tsc has undergone tremendous milestone on welfare of the teachers. What will happen to teachers e.g who are promoted at age 58 and they shall not meet the three years requisite when vacancies arises?I think the TSC had looked at it positively in her previous promotions. But with ‘interferance’ by departmental committee… All in all the TSC of late she is on right track
I am a deputy headteacher served for 19 years and have stayed in grade C4 for 8 years but i was not promoted. What should I do. Am remaining with only 2 years to retirement.
Teachers are a frustrated lot. The many Job groups (C2,C3,C4,C5…) are really killing the morale of teachers.
I wonder if we shall be promoted after retirement since am three years to retirement…..
Does tsc know anything to do with C5? what about it? Sometimes knicknamedas deputy headteacher 1 witia portfolio my dears.Please say something about it.
This really demoralizing , how come that other areas like PSC there are no c’s as it is in the TSC. TSC has been used as a weapon to murder teachers. There’s nothing to smile about.
Kindly address,I got my last promotion in 2015 stagnated for approximately 10yrs,any hope!
Kindly address,I got my last promotion in 2015 stagnated for approximately 10yrs,attends whereas they arise any hope!
moderation.
Kindly address,I got my last promotion in 2015 stagnated for approximately 10yrs,attends interview s whereas they arise any hope
I am C1 teacher and remaining with only 2 and a half years to retire. The hope has already been quashed.
We are the senior teachers who were in C2 since 2017, our colleagues who were deputy headteacher are now fully headteachers fully motivated. What happened to us especially in kisii county. Infact you can’t even apply for deputyship, is that not descrimination? We have acting letters enslaved for more than 4 years. We are completely demotivated. This is not our country Kenya surely.