NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr 15 – More than 178,871 teachers have remained stuck in the same job groups for years due to a Sh35 billion budget deficit at the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), the National Assembly Education Committee was told on Tuesday.
TSC Chief Executive Officer Nancy Macharia, appearing before the committee chaired by Vice Chair Eve Obara (MP, Kasipul), attributed the stagnation to chronic underfunding that has hindered the implementation of the commission’s career progression guidelines.
“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 Macharia.
While defending the commission against accusations of favoritism and skewed promotions, Macharia disclosed that in the 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 financial years, only Sh2 billion was allocated for teacher promotions — far short of the Sh35 billion required to clear the backlog.
Within this period, 151,611 teachers were promoted: 75,090 through common cadre promotions and 76,521 through competitive processes.
In the current financial year alone, 25,252 teachers have been elevated to new grades following interviews conducted earlier this year.
Records show that despite thousands of applications, 381 positions advertised in November and December 2024 remain unfilled, largely due to financial and logistical constraints.
In November 2024, 5,690 teachers applied for promotions, with another 19,943 applications received in December.
The CEO further revealed that while the TSC had requested Sh2 billion from the National Treasury for this year’s promotions, only Sh1 billion was allocated — once again falling short of the commission’s needs.
Her remarks come amid growing discontent from the Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (KESSHA), which has accused the TSC of unfair promotion practices, particularly the reliance on a quota-based system that the association says is discriminatory and demotivating.