TSC under fire over promotion bias

The Teachers Service Commission has come under fire as angry MPs poked holes in the recent promotion of 151,611 teachers.

In a tough rhetoric against the teachers’ employer, the Education Committee of the National Assembly termed the exercise biased and discriminatory.

The lawmakers claimed a number of teachers with long-service were bypassed and instead the recently recruited ones promoted.

The committee chaired by Tinderet MP Julius Melly also claimed that some teachers have been promoted thrice in the last three years while some of their colleagues were last promoted five to 10 years ago.

The committee also faulted TSC for giving equal number of promotion slots to all the counties arguing that such a method cannot guarantee equity.

Further, the Melly-led committee accused TSC of promoting— in some cases —teachers who scored 80 per cent while those who got 100 per cent were overlooked.

The commission was represented by CEO Nancy Macharia, TSC Board chairman Jamleck Kamau, commissioners and top level secretariat staff.

“Teacher promotion is a burning issue. In fact, there is huge outcry about this issue,” the committee vice chairperson Eve Obara said.

Lugari MP Nabii Nabwera said it was unfair for the commission to go against their own grading system and locked out top scorers from the career progression.

“Let the commission confirm to us whether they developed a criterion for promotion and was it shared to everyone including candidates. Why would a person who scored 100 per cent not be promoted and a person who scored 80 per cent is promoted?”

Melly accused the TSC of doing a disservice to the country, adding that Parliament will not tolerate any system that promotes newly recruited teachers over those who have stayed longer in the profession.

“Some of the teachers have stayed for 10 years while some have taken only six months or a year and they are promoted,” Melly said.

“We gave you money (for the promotion) and you have done a great disservice to the teachers and country at large.”

A look at the documents tabled by TSC reveals that almost all the 47 counties got equal promotion slots despite some counties not having half the number of teachers in other devolved units.

For instance during 2024/25, Machakos county got the highest number of teachers promoted at 690, followed by Meru with 688, Makunei-668, Nakuru-665 Kakamega-657, Kiambu-649, Murang’a-648, Embu-646, Baringo-643, Kitui-630. Nairobi-626 Kisii-625 and Kisumu-620.

Luanda MP Dick Maungu while demanding the exercise be rescinded, accused the commission of doing a miscarriage on promotions.

“We know that teachers who got promoted last year also got promoted this year, the commission indicated that those who were promoted served between three to five years. TSC has committed a serious miscarriage to the teacher fraternity in this country,” the Luanda MP said.

Baringo North lawmaker Joseph Makilap demanded a comprehensive data from the subcounty level and county level of how the promotions were done, how the teachers scored and the numbers awarded to the counties.

Nyamira Woman Representative Jerusha Momanyi demanded that the list of the teachers promoted be tabled before the committee.

“I want to know why the commission rushed to release the list before we had a sitting with them. It is clear that the longest serving teachers were not promoted,” Teso South MP Mary Emase said.

TSC CEO Nancy Macharia denied allegations of discrimination saying the commission followed the law in promoting the tutors.

INSTANT ANALYSIS

TSC, pursuant to the provisions of Article 237 (2) (d) of the constitution, has the mandate to promote teachers under its employment. Further, the promotion of teachers in public service is premised on CORT, Career Progression Guidelines for teachers and the Policy on Selection and Appointment of Institutional Administrators.