President Ruto urges TSC to increase teacher promotions to 50,000

• President William Ruto calls for expanded teacher promotions during World Teachers’ Day celebrations at Kasarani.

• An additional 20,000 teachers will be recruited by December, bringing the administration’s total to 120,000.

• The Government has allocated Sh4.9 billion to transition 20,000 contract teachers to permanent employment.

President William Ruto has urged the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to increase the number of teachers due for promotion from the 34,016 opportunities already advertised to 50,000.

Speaking during the 2026 World Teachers’ Day celebrations at Kasarani Gymnasium in Nairobi on Monday, October 5, Ruto said the government was ready to provide additional funding to support the increased promotions.

“I want to encourage the Teachers Service Commission to enhance these 34,000 promotions to 50,000. The government of Kenya will make additional resources available for that promotion,” he said.

Ruto said the government had doubled the budget allocated to teacher promotions from Sh1 billion to Sh2 billion as part of efforts to improve teachers’ career progression.

Career progression guidelines await approval

He also announced that the TSC and teachers’ unions had concluded consultations on new career progression guidelines, which are awaiting approval by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC).

The President said the SRC was expected to conclude the approval process within two weeks.

“I have it on the authority of the Chairman of the Salaries and Remuneration Commission here present that that exercise will be concluded in the next two weeks,” Ruto said.

More recruitment and permanent employment

The President further announced that the government plans to recruit an additional 20,000 teachers by December 2026.

The new recruitment will bring the total number of teachers hired under the Kenya Kwanza administration to 120,000, according to Ruto.

He said the recruitment would help address the teacher shortage, which stood at about 116,000 when his administration took office.

“By December, we will have recruited 120,000 teachers, the largest expansion of the teaching force in our nation in five years,” he said.

Ruto also announced that Sh4.9 billion had been set aside to transition 20,000 contract teachers who have completed two years of service to permanent and pensionable terms.

The transition is expected to begin in January 2027 as the government continues efforts to improve teachers’ job security and employment conditions.

The President said the measures were part of broader efforts to enhance teachers’ welfare, career development and working conditions.

Expanded access to healthcare

On healthcare, Ruto said teachers’ inpatient access rate had doubled from seven per cent to 14 per cent, bringing it in line with that of other public servants.

He said the teachers’ medical scheme under the Social Health Authority (SHA) had provided healthcare services to teachers and their dependants between December 2025 and September 2026.

More than 680,000 teachers and family members had accessed outpatient, inpatient, optical, dental and imaging services during the period, he said.

The Head of State added that teachers can now access inpatient services at 3,871 facilities operated by national and county governments, faith-based organisations and private healthcare providers, up from 900 facilities previously.

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