TSC CEO Eveleen Mitei /COURTESYThe Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has disowned a message circulating on social media asking public schools to contribute money to facilitate teacher recruitment and promotion interviews.
The message, which appears to target heads of schools, asks institutions with Junior Secondary (JS) sections to contribute Sh1,000 and those without JS sections to contribute Sh500 towards the exercise.
It further directs the money to be sent to zonal chairpersons by Friday, September 11, 2026, claiming the funds would facilitate the smooth running of the interviews.
However, TSC has dismissed the message as fake and warned school heads against acting on the unauthorised communication.
In a statement, the commission said it had become aware of the message circulating online and clarified that teachers are not required to pay for recruitment or promotion services.
“The commission wishes to clarify that no fees are levied for any services provided to teachers,” TSC said.
The commission said teacher recruitment and promotion are among its core functions and are carried out through established procedures designed to ensure transparency and accountability.
“Recruitment and promotion remain core functions of TSC and are conducted in a transparent and accountable manner. These services are fully funded by TSC,” the commission said.
The clarification comes amid growing concerns over fraudulent messages targeting teachers and education institutions, particularly those purporting to originate from public agencies.
TSC said it had made arrangements to ensure that county directors have adequate resources to conduct recruitment and promotion exercises without requiring schools or teachers to raise additional funds.
“County directors are provided with adequate resources to undertake the exercise,” the commission said.
The fake message specifically sought contributions from schools, raising concerns that unsuspecting school administrators could be pressured into making payments or collecting money from teachers and other stakeholders.
TSC has now cautioned heads of public basic education institutions against participating in the purported fundraising exercise.
“All heads of public basic education institutions are hereby cautioned against participating in or entertaining such unauthorised engagements,” the Commission said.
The Commission urged school administrators to exercise caution when they receive communications relating to recruitment, promotions or other official activities, particularly where payments are demanded.
TSC recruitment and promotion exercises are conducted through official channels, with the Commission responsible for coordinating the process and providing the necessary resources.
Teachers and school administrators have consequently been advised not to make payments based on the message or engage individuals purporting to collect money on behalf of TSC.
The Commission said any communication requiring teachers or schools to make payments for recruitment or promotion services should not be treated as an official TSC directive.
It reiterated that legitimate recruitment and promotion services are provided without charges to teachers and are financed by the commission as part of its mandate.
