- Teachers who applied for about 34,000 TSC promotional slots have begun receiving interview invitation letters across the Western and Rift Valley regions.
- Teachers have expressed subdued reactions to the letters, with some describing the interviews as a mere formality rather than a genuine determinant of promotion.
- Some teachers have voiced perceptions that political or government influence affects promotion outcomes, though these remain individual claims rather than established evidence.
Teachers who applied for approximately 34,000 promotional slots advertised by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) have begun collecting their interview invitation letters, but the exercise across the Western and Rift Valley regions has been marked by subdued reactions rather than the excitement that typically accompanies such milestones.
Education News spoke to several teachers collecting their letters and found a workforce whose faith in the promotion process appears to be waning. Teachers described trickling in to collect the letters looking exhausted and, in some cases, unconvinced that the interviews would change anything, with the customary “this time ni yangu!” confidence notably absent.
Some teachers bluntly described the interviews as “a formality,” a process they believe must be completed before decisions are made elsewhere. More controversially, some claimed that politicians and government officials have significant influence over who gets promoted, drawing comparisons with perceptions surrounding recruitment processes. These remain allegations and perceptions expressed by individual teachers rather than established evidence of interference.
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Whether rooted in fact, perception or frustration, the sentiment reflects a broader concern about confidence in the system. Education stakeholders warn this could carry real consequences: a teacher who believes that performance, experience and qualifications may not be sufficient to secure promotion can lose the motivation to go the extra mile, and demotivation among those teaching and managing schools can eventually be reflected in classroom morale, leadership, innovation and engagement with learners.
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With interview letters now in teachers’ hands, the exercise raises a broader question about the credibility of the process in the eyes of those undergoing it, whether teachers believe the interview room is genuinely where promotion decisions are made, or whether some have already concluded that the real decisions happen elsewhere.
By Harrison Indakwe
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