The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) is under intense pressure following allegations of irregularities in its recent promotion of over 25,000 teachers.
The exercise, announced earlier this month, has sparked criticism among educators, legislators, and unions, who say it is flawed. They say they are marred by favouritism, lack of transparency, and regional disparities.
Yesterday, Senators joined members of the National Assembly in demanding a thorough investigation into the promotion exercise.
Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka wants TSC to be pressured to demonstrate whether it followed fairness, merit, and inclusivity principles in promoting teachers.
He demanded that the agency reveal how it determined the distribution model, especially why some densely populated counties received fewer promotions despite having more teachers.
“The Education committee must inquire and report to this House why long-serving teachers with higher academic qualifications and graduates were either bypassed, while younger teachers with fewer qualifications and years of experience were promoted during the exercise and if so, the justification for the same,” Onyonka said.
For her part, Nominated Senator Esther Okenyuri painted a grim picture of the situation at the Commission. She asserted some TSC officials were soliciting bribes from struggling teachers desperate for promotion.
“In the just-concluded exercise, we have teachers who have been in the service for over 17 years but were not promoted. On the other hand, we have teachers who have just served for one year and were promoted. How can one explain that? I will use the words of a trade unionist named Benjamin Burombo. He said that ‘when I am fighting for African rights, the other hand is busy keeping away Africans who are fighting me,” she said.
Lawmakers from both Houses have raised concerns that the promotion process disadvantaged deserving teachers and disproportionately favoured certain regions. Some Senators have called for independent audits by the Auditor-General and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to establish whether the exercise met principles of fairness and equity.
In response to the growing storm, TSC CEO Dr. Nancy Macharia appeared before the National Assembly’s Committee on Education to defend the Commission’s actions.
Dr Macharia pointed out that the promotions were conducted in accordance with laid-down procedures, adding that the allocation of promotions was based on available vacancies, regional balance and merit.
MPs were unconvinced and wanted detailed data to explain the glaring differences reported across different counties.
Critics argue that the promotion process favoured certain regions and individuals. For instance, Machakos County reportedly received 690 promotions, while Garissa County secured only 303, raising questions about equitable distribution.
Lugari MP Nabii Nabwera has threatened to table a motion to disband the TSC if corrective measures are not urgently taken. He has averred that the teachers’ employer conducted the promotion exercise in a manner that undermined merit and fairness, disadvantaging counties with higher numbers of qualified teachers.
Teacher unions have also voiced their concerns.. Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) called for the immediate suspension of the promotions, arguing that the process was inequitable. KUPPET National Chairman Omboko Milemba criticised the promotion formula, stating that some teachers had been stuck in one grade for over eight years while others had been promoted after only a few months.
The Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association (KESSHA) submitted a petition to Parliament arguing that the promotion quota system disadvantaged counties with higher numbers of qualified applicants.
In its public statements, the TSC has defended the promotions, insisting they were allocated fairly and transparently.
By Joseph Mambili
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