- President William Ruto will headline Monday’s World Teachers’ Day celebrations after arriving at the national event at 9.30am.
- Teacher unions, school heads, TSC officials and Ministry of Education leaders have been allocated speaking slots before the presidential address.
- The programme begins at 6am with registration and culminates in recognition of teachers through a Roll of Honour.
President William Ruto will lead the national World Teachers’ Day celebrations on Monday, October 5, with the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) releasing a detailed programme outlining activities from early morning to the presidential session.
The programme shows that activities will begin at 6am with the arrival and registration of participants and breakfast, setting in motion a packed schedule involving teachers, unions, education officials, sponsors and other stakeholders.
This year’s celebrations are being held under the theme, “Standing with teachers: 60 years of protecting the profession, advancing its status and shaping our futures.”
Johnson Mwakazi will serve as Master of Ceremony.
According to the programme, arrival, registration and breakfast will run from 6am to 7.45am before the TSC Choir takes over with entertainment until 8am.
The Master of Ceremony will introduce partners and stakeholders between 8am and 8.30am, followed by entertainment from the Coast Teachers Choir between 8.30am and 8.50am.
The entertainment session will feature songs, poems and shairi.
Sponsors and partners will then be recognised between 8.50am and 9.10am. Those listed in the programme include Oxford University Press, Kenya Primary School Heads Association (KEPSHA), Imarisha SACCO, Public Service Superannuation Fund (PSSF), Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD), Mwalimu SACCO, Kenya Education Management Institute (KEMI), National Bank of Kenya, CEMASTEA and M-PESA Foundation.
Another entertainment session will run from 9.10am to 9.30am.
President Ruto, who is listed as the chief guest, is scheduled to arrive between 9.30am and 9.40am, marking the beginning of the main official programme.
Opening prayers will follow from 9.40am to 10am, led by Rev Fr Henry Mathangu and Sukyan Hassan Omar.
Bishop Dr Kepha Omae is scheduled to deliver a sermon between 10am and 10.30am before another 20-minute entertainment session by the TSC Choir.
Teacher unions get speaking slots
Representatives of school heads and teachers’ unions will then take turns addressing the gathering in a tightly scheduled programme.
KEPSHA representative Fuad Ali will speak between 10.50am and 10.55am, followed by Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (KESSHA) chairman Willie Kuria between 10.55am and 11am.
Kenya Union of Special Needs Education Teachers (KUSNET) Secretary-General James Torome will address the gathering from 11am to 11.05am.
He will be followed by Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) Secretary-General Akello Misori between 11.05am and 11.10am.
Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Secretary-General Collins Oyuu will have the next slot, from 11.10am to 11.15am.
The allocation gives each of the three teacher unions five minutes to address the national gathering, providing their leadership with an opportunity to speak before senior TSC and government officials take the stage.
Title sponsors will follow, with Co-operative Bank, listed as Gold sponsor, allocated the 11.15am to 11.25am slot.
Kenya Commercial Bank, listed as Diamond sponsor, will have its session between 11.25am and 11.40am.
A representative of UNESCO’s Regional Office for Eastern Africa will then address the gathering from 11.40am to 11.45am.
Mitei, TSC chairman and Ogamba to speak
TSC Acting Commission Secretary and CEO Dr Evaleen Mitei will address teachers between 11.45am and noon.
TSC Chairman Dr Jamleck Muturi John will follow between noon and 12.15pm.
National Assembly Departmental Committee on Education chairman Julius Melly has been allocated 10 minutes, between 12.15pm and 12.25pm.
The programme then provides a 10-minute slot for the Principal Secretary in the State Department for Basic Education between 12.25pm and 12.35pm.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos Ogamba will take over between 12.35pm and 1pm, giving him the longest scheduled speaking slot among the education officials listed in the programme.
The programme subsequently provides for the Recognition of Teachers (Roll of Honour), during which teachers will be celebrated for their contribution to the profession.
President Ruto is then listed for the presidential session as President of the Republic of Kenya and Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Forces.
TSC Vice-Chairperson Sharon Kisire will deliver the vote of thanks.
Celebrations mark 60-year milestone
The national event comes against the backdrop of the 60th anniversary of the 1966 ILO/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers, which established international standards covering teachers’ rights and responsibilities, preparation, recruitment, employment and working conditions.
World Teachers’ Day is observed annually on October 5 and has been celebrated globally since 1994.
The 2026 commemoration is therefore centred not only on recognising teachers but also on six decades of efforts to protect the teaching profession and improve its standing.
In Kenya, the celebrations come as teachers remain at the centre of major education reforms, including implementation of Competency-Based Education (CBE) and preparations for the transition of the first CBE cohort to Senior School.
The national celebration also follows activities organised in the build-up to October 5, including regional teachers’ marathon events aimed at promoting teachers’ wellness, interaction and recognition.
The presence of KNUT, KUPPET and KUSNET leaders at Monday’s event also comes amid continuing discussions around teacher welfare, promotions, career progression, professional development, staffing and working conditions.
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Against that backdrop, Monday’s programme brings the country’s political leadership, TSC, teacher unions, school heads, education institutions and development partners onto one platform as Kenya joins the world in recognising the contribution teachers make to education and national development.
By Joseph Mambili
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