Only 35 teachers in Uasin Gishu will benefit from latest TSC promotions

The Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) has hit out at the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) over the latest announcement that it plans to promote 15,000 teachers.

TSC in an announcement on its website indicated that the teachers to be promoted are from different grades across the country.

But according to Kuppet Uasin Gishu Executive Secretary Elija Maiyo, the number of teachers TSC plans to promote is too small.

Maiyo noted that of the 15,000 promotions, only 35 will be from Uasin Gishu. The county has over 3,000 teachers.

“For example, we have 154 principals who are in grade B3 and there is no single position advertised for their promotion to B4. For Deputy Principals in grade B1 we have 197 teachers in the county but there are only 15 positions for promotions to B2, even if we share among the 47 counties, if we get one we will be lucky,” the Kuppet official told Uasin Gishu News.

“In job group C4 we have 225 teachers, none will be promoted. There are 1,600 teachers in C3 and no planned promotions to C4 based on TSC advertisement,” he added.

Stagnated in one group group

Maiyo notes that there is nothing for a teacher to celebrate in the promotions as only a few will benefit.

He also revealed that contrary to TSC Chief Executive Officer Nancy Macharia’s claim that no teacher has been in one job group for long, there are many who have stagnated for up to 25 years.

“Some teachers are about to retire and they only had one promotion in their whole career,” said the unionist.

“We cannot stay in the same job group for over 20 years,” he added.

Labor laws require that an employee cannot be in one job group for more than three years.

The Kuppet official now wants TSC to announce more promotions.

Further, Maiyo has asked the government to consider setting up a taskforce to look into the teachers’ welfare, just as a similar move was taken for the welfare of police officers.

President William Ruto recently appointed former Chief Justice David Maraga to chair a taskforce on welfare of police officers.

Depression

The teachers’ union official also said lack of promotions demotivates teachers and also contributes to differences at work places.

“This also causes depression among teachers and contributes to domestic violence,” said Maiyo.

When she appeared before the National Assembly Education Committee early in December 2022, TSC CEO Nancy Macharia said promotions would start after national examinations.

She also said the promotions aimed at filling positions left vacant due to natural causes.

“Immediately after exams come to an end, we shall advertise and start the process of promoting the teachers to different grades,” Macharia told MPs.