Lawmakers demand clarity on teacher promotions as TSC decries of budgetary constraints

Members of the National Assembly Education Committee on questioned the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) over delays, stagnation, and perceived unfairness in the promotion of teachers, demanding accountability, transparency, and equity in the process.

Lawmakers, led by Vice Chairperson, Hon. Eve Obara ( Kabondo Kasipul), questioned the Commission’s strategy to ensure fair and merit-based promotions.

“TSC cannot keep blaming budget deficits year in, year out while thousands of teachers stagnate in the same job groups. What is the Commission doing to make the promotion process predictable, fair, and inclusive?” asked Hon. Eve Obara.

Legislators sought to answers on the Commission’s policies, “How is TSC ensuring that its promotion policies align with legal frameworks, teacher union agreements and international best practices.”

Abdul Haro asked,  “These delayed promotions have negatively impacted teacher morale, retention and overall education quality?”

The Committee also heard that more than 178,000 teachers have remained stuck in the same job group due to a Sh35 billion funding shortfall, with only Sh2 billion allocated over two financial years to address the backlog.

TSC CEO Dr. Nancy Macharia admitted that underfunding had delayed the implementation of the Commission’s Career Progression Guidelines (CPG), which are meant to streamline promotions and professional growth for educators.

“Lack of sufficient budgetary provision has significantly impeded the career growth of teachers. This stagnation has triggered complaints from unions, lowered morale, and contributed to increased attrition within the profession,” said Ms. Macharia.

She revealed that between 2023 and 2025, 151,611 teachers were promoted — 75,090 through common cadre progression and 76,521 via competitive processes.

Lawmakers also raised concerns over regional disparities and allegations of favoritism in the promotion process.  On affirmative action, Hon. Phylis Bartoo asked, “What measures has TSC put in place to increase representation of women, Teachers in hardship areas and special needs educators in senior leadership positions.”

CEO Ms. Macharia, however, defended the Commission’s integrity, citing a digitized application system, adherence to Regulation 73 of the Code of Regulations for Teachers (CORT), and data analytics to guide equitable distribution of promotion opportunities.

“The process is guided by transparency, performance, merit, and affirmative action, especially in marginalised and hard-to-staff areas,” she said.

The Commission noted it applies affirmative action under Article 56 of the Constitution to ensure inclusivity, including the shortlisting of all eligible applicants in marginalised areas and reserving slots for female teachers and special needs educators.

Lugari MP Nabii Nabwera challenged the Commission’s promotion system. “Some deserving teachers are overlooked simply because their county has ‘exceeded the quota’. That is discriminatory and defeats the principle of merit,” he said.

To further streamline the process, TSC said it has automated its promotions through the Teachers Online System, allowing for real-time application tracking and faster turnaround times. It also plans to review both the CPG and CORT through public participation, once the TSC Act is amended.

Dr. Macharia disclosed that in the current financial year, 25,252 teachers were promoted.

The Committee on Education noted that  Teachers Service Commission should review the Code of Regulation for Teachers to set out clear principles to be adhered to during promotion of teachers and further develop Career Progression Guidelines and Code of Regulation for Teachers.