21 Years Waiting: How Kenyan teachers’ dreams of becoming principals are crushed

For generations of teachers in Kenya, the aspiration to become a school administrator was a natural progression of a career spent in the classroom. It was an ambition that gave many teachers purpose and direction. The path was straightforward: work diligently, gain experience, demonstrate leadership, and, over time, move into positions of greater responsibility. Becoming a senior school principal or headteacher was a dream that teachers could map out, a beacon guiding them through the long hours and challenges of teaching. Today, that dream is slowly fading for many. What was once a clear career path has transformed into a maze of job groups, irregular promotion interviews, and frustrating delays that sap motivation and leave capable teachers feeling overlooked and disillusioned.

The structure of teaching careers in Kenya has undergone several changes over the decades, but none has had as dramatic an effect on the career trajectories of classroom teachers as the 2017 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). Before this restructuring, teachers were graded alphabetically, starting with Job Group G for entry-level P1 teachers. Higher grades ranged from H to R, reflecting experience, performance, and academic qualifications. Promotions were largely automatic and time-based, and for the most part, teachers could predict the pace of their advancement. Those with higher academic qualifications naturally earned more than some administrators, but the system was transparent, and progression was achievable through patience and competence.

After the 2017 CBA, however, everything changed. Teachers already in administrative roles were elevated to higher job groups—C3 to C5 in primary schools and C4 to D5 in post-primary institutions. This, on the surface, seemed like a reward for experience. But for classroom teachers who aspired to climb into administrative leadership, the new structure created a bottleneck. The job groups became more segmented, and promotional interviews—once a predictable milestone—turned irregular and unpredictable. In practice, this means that a teacher aiming to become a substantive senior school principal must navigate a journey spanning over two decades, often without any certainty that the next step will come in time.

To understand the scope of this challenge, one must follow the pathway of a teacher through the current system. A teacher begins in C2, where they are expected to serve for at least three years. Following this, promotion to C3 requires another three years of service. At each stage, teachers are expected to demonstrate competence, dedication, and leadership potential. From C4, the first serious administrative level, the process becomes more arduous. A teacher must serve at least three years in this grade before they are even eligible for a promotional interview—but these interviews are infrequent, often delayed for years, and in many cases, may not be conducted at all.

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From C4, the teacher progresses to C5, where the same frustrations repeat. The service requirement remains three years, and interviews, which are supposed to facilitate progression, are still irregular. The pattern continues through D1 and D2, each requiring a minimum of three years of service, with interviews remaining unpredictable. It is only after reaching D3—after more than 21 years of service, mostly spent in classroom roles—that a teacher can finally hope to be appointed as a substantive principal.

This pathway, though structured on paper, is in reality a labyrinth. Teachers find themselves waiting indefinitely for interviews, or, in some cases, watching as colleagues with administrative experience bypass the system altogether. The irregularity of promotional interviews creates a sense of stagnation and uncertainty. For a profession built on nurturing and developing young minds, the emotional toll on teachers themselves is significant. Many capable teachers, who once envisioned leading their schools and shaping educational policy, now face a future in which those dreams are deferred indefinitely, or worse, denied entirely.

The challenges of this system are not merely bureaucratic; they have real consequences for teachers, students, and the wider education sector. Teachers spend decades in classrooms, often going above and beyond their duties, only to find that their aspirations for leadership are blocked by a system that is slow, opaque, and poorly coordinated. This not only affects morale but also has implications for the quality of school leadership in Kenya. Schools are deprived of the best minds at the helm, and talented teachers may either leave the profession altogether or remain stuck in roles that do not fully utilize their skills and experience.

Historically, the teaching profession in Kenya had a different rhythm. Before 2017, promotions, though still tied to service and qualifications, were relatively predictable. Teachers with quality academic certificates could advance at a steady pace, and many would eventually move into administrative roles. These positions offered both professional recognition and the opportunity to shape the learning environment beyond the classroom. Leadership was seen as a reward for experience and merit, and the system, while not perfect, allowed teachers to plan their careers and set long-term goals.

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The 2017 restructuring disrupted this equilibrium. By creating a complex ladder of job groups, and by elevating existing administrators without providing a clear, timely path for classroom teachers to follow, the CBA unintentionally created bottlenecks. The new structure requires teachers to spend long periods in each job group, often without assurance that promotional interviews will occur on schedule. The result is that ambitious teachers may spend over two decades in the classroom before reaching a leadership position, and even then, success is not guaranteed.

For teachers in rural and marginalized areas, the challenge is even more acute. Opportunities for promotion are fewer, and access to information about interview schedules and criteria may be limited. These teachers, who often serve under difficult conditions with minimal resources, face the dual challenge of heavy workloads and slow career progression. The cumulative effect is a growing sense of frustration and disillusionment across the profession. The dream of becoming a school administrator—a role that was once attainable through diligence and service—is becoming increasingly out of reach.

The impact of these delays extends beyond individual teachers. The leadership vacuum created by a slow and irregular promotion system affects schools directly. Principals play a crucial role in shaping school culture, managing resources, and implementing curriculum effectively. When the pathway to these positions is bottlenecked, schools may lack experienced, motivated leaders. This can affect everything from teacher supervision to student performance, as well as the overall efficiency of school operations. In many ways, the bottleneck in administrative promotions undermines the broader goals of the education system, which depends on capable leadership to thrive.

Moreover, the irregularity of promotional interviews raises questions about fairness and transparency. Teachers may wait for years without knowing when opportunities will arise, and the criteria for selection are not always clear. In some cases, informal networks and prior administrative experience can influence outcomes, creating perceptions of favoritism. This environment fosters anxiety and uncertainty among teachers, who may feel that their hard work and dedication are not adequately recognized or rewarded.

Despite these challenges, many teachers continue to persevere. Their commitment to education and to the students they serve remains strong. However, the system’s rigidity and inefficiency test even the most resilient. Ambitious teachers, once hopeful about their progression into administrative roles, are increasingly faced with a stark reality: without reform, their dream of becoming a school principal may never be realized.

The situation calls for urgent attention from the Teachers Service Commission and policymakers. Streamlining the promotion process, ensuring regular and transparent interviews, and creating additional administrative opportunities are critical steps to restore hope and motivation among teachers. The profession must offer a clear and attainable pathway for career advancement; otherwise, years of dedication and service risk being lost to systemic inefficiency.

In conclusion, the dream of becoming a school administrator in Kenya is no longer as attainable as it once was. The 2017 CBA, while well-intentioned, created a complex system of job groups and irregular promotional interviews that make the journey to leadership long and unpredictable. Teachers now face a reality in which over two decades of service may pass before reaching a substantive principalship, and even then, success is not guaranteed. For the profession to thrive, urgent reforms are needed to ensure that dedication, experience, and competence are recognized and rewarded in a timely manner. Without such changes, the dreams of countless Kenyan teachers will remain just that—dreams, fading slowly in the corridors of classrooms where they continue to serve with dedication and resilience.

By Hillary Muhalya