President William Ruto announced the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) approval at the Kenya Comprehensive School Heads Association (KECSHA) conference in Mombasa on November 12, 2026. He also said 50,000 teachers would be promoted during the current financial year.
Under the classroom pathway, teachers could continue teaching as they advance through the professional grades. The highest classroom grade, Teacher 1, would be equivalent to Chief Principal. That could give experienced teachers a route to the top while they continue working with learners, mentoring colleagues and developing their subject expertise.
The administrative pathway would provide a route for teachers who take on school leadership. It would recognise responsibilities such as supervising staff, managing school resources and overseeing learner welfare and school performance.
Under the proposals agreed between TSC and teachers’ unions in June, progression to the highest classroom grade could take about 18 years, down from about 30. The final promotion criteria and conditions will determine how that timeline applies to individual teachers.
What happens to teachers awaiting promotion?
For serving teachers, an immediate question is how TSC will place them in the new structure. Some have spent years in the same job group while gaining experience, earning additional qualifications or taking on more responsibilities.
The commission will need to explain how existing job groups will map to the revised grades, whether previous years of service will count and how it will handle teachers already awaiting promotion.
The transition rules will also need to show how the two pathways apply across primary, junior and senior schools, special-needs institutions and teacher-training colleges.
Teachers await details on grades and pay
Following the President’s announcement, teachers have urged TSC to publish the guidelines and spell out the promotion criteria, effective dates and pay implications. They also want clarity on how basic pay will relate to allowances for teachers who take on administrative duties.
The test for the revised framework will be whether it helps teachers who have spent years in the same grade advance, and whether experienced classroom teachers can reach the highest professional grades while continuing to teach.
Reader Discussion (0)
Sign in to comment