Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has announced the government will promote 50,000 teachers in the 2026-27 financial year.
The count is up from an earlier target of 25,000, and is billed as part of efforts to improve teachers’ welfare and address long-standing career stagnation.
Kindiki said the administration had factored teachers’ concerns into the upcoming budget.
He spoke during a Thanksgiving ceremony for newly elected Kuppet Meru branch executive secretary Morris Muthomi Njira at Kenya Methodist University at the weekend.
“In the coming budget, we have factored in the money for teachers’ promotions. The target was 25,000 teachers initially, but after further consultations with the unions, the government will now be promoting 50,000 teachers,” he said.
The Deputy President said many teachers had remained in the same job group for more than a decade, saying the government was keen on addressing career progression challenges.
“When you visited State House, the President committed to reviewing the Career Progression Guidelines so teachers do not spend too much time in one job group or move through too many stages before promotion,” he said.
Kindiki, who described himself as ‘one of you’ due to his background as a lecturer and professor at the University of Nairobi, praised teachers for their role in shaping society.
“Teachers are the only people I know in the world who spend most of their time thinking about other people’s children more than their own,” he said.
“Teaching is so valuable that society can never fully compensate teachers for what they do. We can continue reviewing your terms and conditions of service, but I am convinced, having been a teacher myself, that teachers can never be adequately rewarded for their contribution to society.”
The DP also revealed the government is working to improve medical cover for teachers under the Social Health Authority (SHA), following concerns raised by unions over access to quality healthcare.
“We need to improve the SHA packages for teachers. We will expedite the resolution of issues raised by teachers to ensure their health is assured because it is paramount to have a healthy teacher,” he said.
“We also recognise the need to improve healthcare packages under the SHA. Engagements are ongoing to improve teachers’ medical coverage because a healthy teacher is a motivated teacher.”
The DP said the government had significantly increased investment in the education sector since 2022, with the education budget rising from Sh500 billion when President William Ruto took office to a projected Sh765 billion in the next financial year.
He said the administration had employed 100,000 teachers over the last four years and would recruit another 20,000 after the next budget cycle.
“Secondly, we identified a shortage of 116,000 teachers. Every year, we have recruited more teachers to reduce that gap. So far, we have employed 100,000 teachers, and after next month’s budget, we will add another 20,000, bringing the total to 120,000 teachers within four years,” he said.
According to the DP, the government has also built 23,000 classrooms and constructed 1,600 laboratories to improve the learning environment across the country.
He further highlighted reforms in the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) sector, saying enrolment had more than doubled from 297,000 students in 2022 to 718,000 currently.
“We realised there were more students in universities than in tertiary institutions, yet middle-level colleges produce much of the workforce the country requires,” he said.
On the contentious issue of junior secondary school autonomy, Kindiki said the government had heard the concerns of teachers and would engage stakeholders and Parliament on possible reforms.
“We have heard your requests to make JSS autonomous. We are going to discuss with various stakeholders to see what we can do as we wait for parliamentary intervention,” he said.
The DP also assured teachers the government would settle the delayed Kenya National Examinations Council (Knec) payments amounting to Sh1.5 billion.
“Regarding Knec payments amounting to Sh1.5 billion, the government will pay that money as soon as possible. I will personally ensure the matter is expedited,” he said.
Kindiki urged teachers to continue playing their role as opinion shapers and guardians of societal values, even as the country navigates heightened political discourse.
“Kenya is a democratic nation governed by the rule of law, where the rights and dignity of every person must be respected,” he said.
“Citizens have constitutional freedom to express themselves on how the country should be governed. However, it is the role of teachers to help communities understand that in exercising democratic rights and demanding accountability, we must not destroy the future, security and stability of our nation.”
He cautioned against violence and destruction during protests, saying dissent should be expressed peacefully.
“It is acceptable to express dissatisfaction and demand better governance, but nobody has the right to destroy the economy Kenyans have built over many years, or interrupt the rights of others,” he said.
Kindiki said the government’s engagement with teachers was not politically motivated but aimed at addressing legitimate concerns affecting the profession.
“As a government, we will continue to support teachers not because we are afraid of elections, because that would be irresponsible leadership, but because the demands raised by teachers are legitimate and deserve to be addressed,” he said.
