- KNUT has proposed a 90-day unpaid political leave framework allowing teachers to campaign for elective office without being forced to permanently resign.
- The union has said teachers who lose their elections would be allowed to return to the classroom, while winners would be required to leave the teaching service.
- KNUT has called for safeguards, including a code of conduct and TSC replacement mechanisms, to ensure political campaigning does not interfere with teaching and learning.
The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) is pushing for a new political leave framework that would allow teachers aspiring to elective office to take up to 90 days of unpaid leave to campaign without being forced to permanently abandon their teaching careers.
The proposal comes as political activity begins to intensify ahead of the 2027 General Election, with a growing number of professionals expected to consider seeking elective positions at the national and county levels.
Under the current rules governing teachers in public service, educators seeking elective office are required to leave the teaching profession within the prescribed period before the election, a requirement that presents a major career risk for many teachers, particularly if they contest and lose. KNUT argues that teachers should be given an opportunity to participate in the democratic process without necessarily losing their professional careers.
Under the proposed 90-day arrangement, a teacher intending to contest for an elective position would proceed on unpaid political leave during the campaign period and would be allowed to return to the classroom if unsuccessful in the election. However, teachers who win elective positions would be required to leave the teaching service and take up their political offices in accordance with the law.
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The union says such an arrangement would provide a safety net for teachers who wish to test their political ambitions while protecting their investment in their teaching careers, and would also address concerns over the loss of experienced teachers who may be discouraged from seeking public office because of the uncertainty surrounding their careers after an election.
KNUT maintains that teachers, like other citizens, have a constitutional right to participate in political and public affairs, but says the proposal would require clear safeguards to ensure political activities do not interfere with teaching and learning. Under the proposed framework, teachers on political leave would not be allowed to campaign in schools, use government resources for political activities or involve learners in political campaigns.
The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) would also need to put in place mechanisms for temporary replacement of teachers who proceed on political leave to ensure learners do not lose valuable instructional time, alongside a clear code of conduct to separate teachers’ professional responsibilities from their political activities.
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Supporters of the proposal argue that forcing teachers to permanently resign before testing their political fortunes unnecessarily exposes them to financial and professional uncertainty, and contend that a structured leave system could strike a balance between safeguarding the integrity of the teaching profession and allowing educators to exercise their democratic and political rights. For the proposal to become policy, it would require consideration within the existing legal and regulatory framework governing teachers and public officers.
As political temperatures rise ahead of the 2027 polls, KNUT’s proposal is setting the stage for a wider conversation on whether teachers should be required to choose between their profession and political ambitions, or whether they can be allowed to pursue public office while retaining a pathway back to the classroom if their bids fail.
By Kithinji Njeru
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