A decision by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to allocate the 19, 000 available slots for promotions among all the 47 counties on an equal basis has infuriated the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education (KUPPET). 

KUPPET top officials feel the system that could see each county being allocated 404 slots would greatly disadvantage counties such as Kiambu, Kakamega and Nairobi with a high number of teachers waiting for promotions while working to the advantage of Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASAL) counties in the with smaller numbers. 

The giant secondary school teachers union faulted the Commission for allegedly promoting newly hired teachers over the long-serving ones. 

Promotion criteria 

They also questioned the criteria used in the promotion and revealed that some teachers spent up to seven years in a single job grade without an advancement. 

According to KUPPET deputy secretary general Moses Nthurima and chairman Omboko Milemba, the system is being used to specifically benefit areas in the North Eastern and parts of Coast regions. 

Should the system adopted by TSC not be halted, the two officials say, it would see teachers in such counties as Tana River, Isiolo, Mandera, Marsabit, Wajir and Lamu, among others, who have only served for a short stint being promoted while those in counties with a high number of teachers remaining stagnated. 

Other counties said to be disadvantage by the current system adopted by TSC include Nakuru, Bungoma, Uasin Gishu, Kericho, Trans Nzoia, Machakos, Makueni, Mombasa, Busia, Siaya, Kisumu, Migori, Kisii, Nyamira, and Homa bay among others where some teachers have stagnated in one position for more than 10 years. 

“Is it logistical to promote a teacher from a place like Wajir who has only served in the profession for one year while leaving out another teacher from Kiambu who has been in the service for more than seven years in the same grade? Nthurima questioned. 

Nthurima questions how a County like Kiambu with more than 11, 000 teachers waiting for promotion can be allocated the same number of 404 slots like Isiolo that has less than 1000 teachers waiting for promotion. 

Pro rata 

“We are pushing for a pro rata system that can serve all counties equally. We have information that counties in the North Eastern have embarked on a program to employ their own natives , who would be fast tracked in promotions at the expense of teachers in other regions,” Nthurima told the People Daily by telephone. 

Nturima says the promotion of teachers under the current system has ceased being based on merit and turned into a political campaign tool. 

On his part, Milemba asked TSC to stop the promotion exercise with immediate effect until fairness and equality is done to teachers. 

Milemba said it is unfair for TSC to be selective in promotion of teachers by favouring a section of teachers, particularly those in North Eastern. 

He said TSC is doing injustice by skipping teachers who have served in the service for a long time for young teachers for promotion. 

“It is unfair for TSC to promote a teacher who has served six years skipping a senior teacher who has been in the service for 16 years,” said Milemba. 

Milemba while addressing teachers and parents at Esunza Primary School yesterday said he has already written to the parliamentary education committee to intervene and compel TSC to rectify the mess. 

The lawmaker decried that many teachers have stagnated in their job groups for many years without being promoted. 

“We have heard stories of teachers who have served in the same job group in the same school for over 16 years.These teachers deserve promotion,” Omboko said. 

The MP asked TSC to effect old teachers’ promotions to end stagnation within the profession. 

The MP also decried that some teachers have been left in acting positions for a long time without being promoted. 

The Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) on Wednesday suffered a setback in its bid to amend its constitution. 

This is after a court issued conservatory orders halting the changes until a case challenging the amendments is heard and determined. 

The Employment and Labour Relations Court in Nyeri granted the order in a case file by Anthony Ndegwa Kinyua, challenging the changes that were adopted and took effect in February. Justice Onesmus Makau, who presided over the matter, certified the application urgent and scheduled it for mention on April 4. 

Justice Makau directed the respondents to file their responses before the close of business on Wednesday, with submissions due by April 3, 2025. 

The court decision comes two weeks after the Registrar of Trade Unions approved the amendments to the Kuppet constitution, which were approved in December 2025.  

In a letter dated March 13, Ann Kanake, the Registrar of Trade Unions, confirmed that her office was satisfied due process had been followed in making the constitutional changes.