TSC Promotion: Teachers Cry Foul as CS Ogamba Weighs In.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba has refrained from engaging in the political debate surrounding the ongoing promotion of teachers, stating that the matter falls under the jurisdiction of the Teachers Service Commission (TSC).
Ogamba reaffirmed that the TSC, as an independent body, was actively working on promoting teachers, with interviews already concluded.
He explained that promotions were based on available positions and performance criteria, emphasizing that the ongoing process was currently under evaluation to determine eligible candidates.
Unions Protest Unequal Promotion Criteria
Teachers’ unions, including the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) and the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET), have criticized the TSC for promoting only 25,028 teachers, arguing that this number was insufficient to address career stagnation.
Union officials voiced concerns that many qualified teachers were still waiting for promotions, accusing the Commission of politicizing employment instead of prioritizing professionalism.
Concerns over the fairness of the promotions first arose on January 30 when KUPPET officials expressed dissatisfaction with the criteria used to allocate promotion slots, describing it as unfair and discriminatory.
In a press briefing, union representatives argued that the distribution of promotions and resources was not being conducted equitably across all counties.
KUPPET Secretary General Moses Nthurima called for a fair distribution of promotion slots, stating that counties with the highest number of teachers should receive a proportionate share of promotions. He insisted that the TSC should implement a pro-rata system to ensure equal treatment of teachers nationwide.
On February 6, KNUT’s First National Vice Chairperson Malel Lang’at joined the discussion, criticizing the promotion of 25,288 teachers as insufficient to address widespread career stagnation. He attributed the problem to the TSC’s focus on staffing schools in marginalized areas, which he believed had inadvertently led to inequality in the promotion process.
Lang’at further lamented that many teachers who had qualified for promotions were still being overlooked. He expressed frustration over the commission’s failure to act, arguing that even the recently announced promotions had not resolved the issue to the satisfaction of the teaching community.
TSC’s Stance on Promotions
In response to the criticism, the TSC maintained that promotions were based on available vacancies and individual performance.
The Commission recently concluded interviews and is currently in the process of reviewing and finalizing the list of promoted teachers.
Read Also: Another Capitation Promise: Education Ministry to Disburse Ksh 15 Billion for Schools This Week
The Ministry reiterated that TSC is an independent body responsible for making such decisions and assured that the process was being conducted fairly.
The government’s commitment to addressing the capitation delays and ensuring fair teacher promotions remains a key issue in the education sector, as schools and educators continue to push for timely funding and career advancement opportunities.
TSC Promotion: Teachers Cry Foul as CS Ogamba Weighs In
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