- KUPPET Kisumu has called for fairness and transparency in ongoing teacher promotion interviews nationwide.
- George Osura says merit, experience and long-serving teachers should receive proper consideration during promotions.
- The union also wants classroom teachers recognised for professional, academic and co-curricular achievements.
The Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) Kisumu chapter has called for fairness in the ongoing promotion interviews of teachers in various grades.
The area Executive Secretary, Mr George Osura, said members had expressed concern over the transparency of the exercise.
Speaking in Kisumu, Osura noted that some teachers boast of having godfathers and strong connections within the system.
Osura said the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) should consider merit and teachers who have worked for many years.
He said those who are older or have overstayed in particular grades should be considered for promotion.
The ongoing exercise involves 34,016 promotion vacancies advertised by TSC, with the second phase covering secondary school teachers, Teacher Training College personnel and Curriculum Support Officers running from September 17 to 25, 2026.
The Executive Secretary said there are teachers who have worked and excelled but are not interested in becoming principals.
“Such people should also be considered for promotions in the classroom,” he said.
Osura, however, expressed gratitude that excellence in co-curricular activities such as drama, sports, refereeing in regional games and other areas would also be considered.
Current promotion scoring guidelines include academic qualifications, performance, professional assignments and participation in co-curricular activities among the areas assessed.
He indicated that qualifications such as Doctor of Philosophy, master’s and bachelor’s degrees would also be considered in promotions.
TSC promotion scoring documents provide marks for academic and professional qualifications, with higher qualifications attracting additional marks in relevant promotion categories.
Union wants promotional ceiling reviewed
Osura said the promotional ceiling for teachers at D5 should be removed, arguing that it is too restrictive and that many teachers promoted early have subsequently stagnated.
He said the grades should go past E1 and beyond, as happens in other cadres in the civil service.
Osura also said TSC should consider using artificial intelligence to evaluate teachers for promotions because the Commission already holds their professional records.
He noted that it was a waste of time to call teachers who had been teaching for many years for interviews.
Osura said the government should also consider the range of responsibilities undertaken by school principals, including accounting and maintaining discipline among learners.
He similarly noted that teachers perform numerous duties at any particular time.
Osura said the union would continue engaging with TSC and the Ministry of Education over issues affecting its members.
He said KUPPET had resolved to use dialogue rather than being too combative in addressing teachers’ concerns.
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Osura said TSC had assured the union that teachers would only be moved from hardship areas and vice versa when the need arose.
“Teachers with enhanced allowances will not be moved from their respective stations unless they are the ones who have applied for the same,” he said.
By Fredrick Odiero
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