- TSC has revealed it is reviewing promotion guidelines to formally recognise teachers’ involvement in music, drama, sports and other co-curricular activities.
- More than 34,000 teachers are set to benefit from the latest funding round, following the promotion of about 270,000 teachers over the past three years.
- The 98th Kenya Music Festival has drawn about 143,000 student participants, awarded over 700 trophies, and exposed a wide gender gap, with girls making up 69 per cent of participants against 31 percent for boys.
Teachers who nurture students through music, drama, sports and other co-curricular activities are set to gain an added advantage in their career progression, after the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) revealed it is reviewing its promotion guidelines to formally recognise such contributions.
TSC Chairperson Dr Jamleck Muturi announced the development during the Ministry of Education Gala held alongside the 98th Kenya Music Festival at Kibabii University, where he said involvement in activities such as ball games, science congresses, creative arts and music would now weigh into how teachers are considered for promotion.
“We are considering in the career progression guidelines of our teachers that activities ranging from ball games and science congresses to creative arts and music will be part of the consideration when we are promoting you,” Dr Muturi said.
He went further to assure teachers taking part in the ongoing festival that their contribution could count toward the upcoming government-funded promotions, once the Commission receives the relevant information from the Ministry and the festival organisers. “I can assure the teachers who are here today that once I get the proper information from the Ministry and the festival Chairman, we will consider you in the upcoming promotions funded by the government,” he said.
The announcement comes as the government continues to allocate funding for teacher promotions. According to Dr Muturi, more than 34,000 teachers are set to benefit from the latest round of funding, building on the promotion of about 270,000 teachers over the past three years.
Shortage Of Teachers In Creative And Technical Subjects
Even as he outlined the planned changes, the TSC chairperson raised concern over a persistent shortage of teachers in several creative and technical subjects, including music, creative arts, home science, woodwork and metalwork. “We have a very serious shortfall in music, creative arts, home science, woodwork, and metalwork,” Dr Muturi warned. He called on universities and teacher-training institutions to open up more opportunities for students pursuing the affected disciplines, noting that the country currently does not have enough teachers in these areas. “I am calling upon universities and teacher training institutions to open more doors for these disciplines as students report this semester. We simply do not have enough teachers in these critical areas,” he said.
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The recognition of co-curricular activities in teacher promotions comes amid wider efforts to expand Kenya’s creative economy and open up more opportunities for young people. Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba, in a speech delivered on his behalf by Higher Education Principal Secretary Dr Beatrice Inyangala, said the creative sector should be viewed as an important economic industry rather than simply an extracurricular area. “According to UNESCO, the cultural and creative industries generate more than $2.25 trillion annually, contributing approximately three percent of global GDP and providing employment to nearly 50 million people worldwide,” Ogamba noted.
He added that Kenya’s creative sectors, including music, film, fashion, theatre and digital content creation, were opening new opportunities for the country’s youth. “In Kenya, music, film, fashion, theatre, and digital content creation are creating entirely new opportunities for our youth. Music is therefore no longer simply an extracurricular activity; it is an economic opportunity, a profession, and an industry,” he said.
Festival Draws Record Numbers, Exposes Gender Gap
Kenya Music Festival Chairman Prof Fred Ngala said this year’s national festival attracted about 143,000 student participants and resulted in more than 700 trophies being awarded. The festival also provided a platform for learners with special needs, with Ngala reporting that 13,137 such students took part in the 2026 edition. He, however, raised concern over the gender gap among participants, noting that girls accounted for about 69 per cent of participants against 31 per cent for boys. “If you look at the gender ratio, we had about 69 percent female students and only 31 per cent male students participating. This calls for affirmative action. We need to encourage our boys to concentrate more and participate in these festivals,” he urged.
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Bungoma Governor Kenneth Lusaka said the festival continued to bring together students from different parts of the country while promoting Kenya’s cultural heritage. “Music crosses tribes, languages, and counties. A child from Bungoma can sing with a child from Mombasa; different backgrounds, one Kenya,” Lusaka said, encouraging the participating students to continue developing their abilities beyond the festival competitions. “To our young people, remember that the trophy is not the destination; it is the beginning. Your talent is a gift-nurture it, discipline it, and dream for the world,” he added.
Corporate organisations have also continued supporting initiatives aimed at developing young people’s creative abilities. Carol Rutto, Equity Group Director and Head of Retail Banking, speaking on behalf of the festival’s partners and Equity Group CEO Dr James Mwangi, said the bank’s support is intended to help learners turn their talents into sustainable economic opportunities, with the focus on equipping young people to generate income from their abilities and build viable careers from their talents.
By Jonathan Mwinzi and Hillary Muhalya
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