- Long-serving headteachers say administrative responsibilities and years of experience have not translated into meaningful career progression.
- They want TSC to give greater weight to experience, performance and responsibilities when filling promotion vacancies.
- The administrators say repeated interviews without progression are frustrating teachers who have managed schools for several years.
Primary school headteachers have renewed pressure on the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to address prolonged career stagnation, saying years of experience and administrative responsibilities have not translated into career progression.
The concerns have emerged as TSC conducts promotion interviews, with some headteachers saying they are being assessed for positions they have effectively performed for years while remaining in the same job grade.
The affected administrators say they have spent close to nine years without meaningful progression, with some tracing their stagnation to 2017. During this period, they have continued to oversee schools, supervise teachers, implement the Teacher Performance Appraisal and Development (TPAD) system and manage day-to-day administration.
They argue that subjecting long-serving administrators to repeated interviews adds to their frustration, particularly where they have consistently demonstrated competence in school management.
Headteachers want experience recognised
The headteachers are calling on TSC to consider experience, years of service and the responsibilities shouldered by teachers when filling promotional vacancies.
They have also questioned whether long-serving administrators could benefit from structured progression mechanisms, including common-cadre arrangements or affirmative measures where applicable.
The debate comes amid concerns over the wider problem of teacher stagnation. TSC previously told Parliament that 178,881 promotion cases were pending and attributed the backlog to inadequate funding. However, the financial figure in the submitted copy requires correction: then-TSC CEO Nancy Macharia told MPs in April 2025 that approximately Sh35.4 billion, rather than Sh3 billion, would be required to clear the entire backlog.
KUPPET has separately maintained that more than 130,000 teachers have been affected by career stagnation, including teachers who have remained in the same grades for many years.
The headteachers say the prolonged delays are undermining morale among school administrators, many of whom are expected to deliver results despite limited prospects for career advancement.
They want TSC to review its promotion framework and ensure that years of service, qualifications, performance and administrative responsibilities are fairly reflected in career progression.
They further argue that resolving the backlog would not only improve teachers’ welfare but also strengthen leadership and accountability in primary schools.
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The administrators now want the Commission to provide a clear roadmap for addressing stagnation and ensure that future promotion exercises offer genuine opportunities for career growth rather than repeatedly putting long-serving teachers through interviews without corresponding progression.
By Kithinji Njeru
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