President Ruto Makes Remarks on TSC Promotions That have Caused Uproar

President Ruto Makes Remarks on TSC Promotions That have Caused Uproar

President William Ruto’s proposal to promote 5,000 teachers directly and 36,000 indirectly has sparked a contentious debate within the education sector and among stakeholders.

Ruto recently revealed his plan to collaborate with the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to incentivize teachers across various cadres in the country. He emphasized their commitment to rewarding teachers for outstanding performance, allocating a billion shillings for this purpose.

However, this announcement raised questions among teachers regarding the nature of these promotions. Hesbon Otieno, Deputy Secretary General of the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT), expressed concerns that promotions without corresponding salary increases do not align with the concept of promotion. He insisted that true promotions should come with salary upgrades and not just additional responsibilities.

Regarding the criteria for direct and indirect promotions, Otieno highlighted that this issue relates to human resources and collective bargaining. He also pointed out that many teachers, particularly those in job groups C1, C2, and C3, have been stuck at the same job grade for a prolonged period.

This situation is attributed, in part, to what they view as a discriminatory Career Progression Guideline that needs a comprehensive review.

Also Read: TSC Releases New House Allowances for Teachers Per Cluster

Otieno clarified that the government does not directly handle teacher deployment, as this falls under the jurisdiction of the Teachers Service Commission.

In the 2023-2024 budget, the education sector has received a significant increase in funding, reaching a historic milestone. Treasury Cabinet Secretary Njuguna Ndung’u proposed a budget allocation of KSh 628.6 billion for education.

Notably, KSh 12.5 billion is designated for free primary education, while KSh 65.4 billion will support free day secondary school education, including insurance and National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) coverage for secondary school students. Additionally, KSh 25.5 billion is allocated for junior secondary school capitation, KSh 5 billion for examination fee waivers, and KSh 4.8 billion to facilitate the recruitment of 20,000 intern teachers.

President Ruto Makes Remarks on TSC Promotions That have Caused Uproar