The Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) has expressed dissatisfaction with the ongoing teacher promotions by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC).
KUPPET Acting Secretary General Moses Nthurima in a statement on Thursday, January 30, criticized the criteria used to allocate promotion slots, describing it as discriminatory and unfair.
Nthurima further raised concerns about the unequal distribution of these slots across counties, calling for the available positions to be filled on a pro-rata basis.
KUPPET accused the TSC of favoring certain counties in promotions and teacher distribution.
The union alleges that the disparities could be politically motivated, resulting in unequal access to teaching resources.
KUPPET Raises Burning Questions on Promotions
Nthurima emphasized the need for proportional allocation, advocating for counties with the highest teacher populations to receive the most promotion slots.
“One major concern, which KUPPET has repeatedly addressed with the Commission, is the distribution of vacancies across the country. We have been made to understand that the TSC has distributed the vacancies equally among the 47 counties,” said Nthurima.
“Given the disparities in staffing levels across the country, such distribution is inherently flawed and unfair to many teachers. A county which has over 11,000 teachers has been allocated the same number of vacancies as another with just 1,000 teachers.”
The KUPPET boss argued that in such a case, the implication is that a teacher in the smaller county is 10 times more likely to get promoted compared to his/her counterpart in the more populous county.
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The union also highlighted the irony of the staffing initiative intended to improve teaching in hardship areas, which, they claimed, has instead perpetuated inequality.
KUPPET criticized the TSC for prioritizing Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASAL) regions while neglecting populous counties.
Concerns Over Promotion Criteria
Nthurima pointed out that the TSC’s appraisal process favored teachers who had served in acting administrative roles for as little as six months, overlooking more qualified teachers.
He urged the Commission to consider teachers with extensive experience, regardless of their posting locations, to ensure fairness.
“In KUPPET’s perspective, the current classification of ASAL areas has outlived its usefulness and should be reviewed in order to promote equity in the teaching service,” the statement adds.
The union at the same time reminded TSC of previous complaints about delayed promotions, with teachers lamenting prolonged stagnation in their careers.
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KUPPET in effect urged TSC and the Ministry of Education to publish the list of teachers to be promoted under the Presidential Award for excellence in drama, music and sports, initiated by President William Ruto in 2023, which has brought critical fairness to the promotion process by recognising excellence in co-curricular activities.
The union called on the Commission to address these concerns urgently to promote equity in teacher advancement.
“KUPPET demands the immediate publication of the list and the preservation of the teachers’ hard-earned right to promotion under the scheme,” the statement adds.
Capitation funds
On a related development, KUPPET has commended the government for releasing Ksh15 billion of capitation funds to secondary schools.
The union had threatened to shut down schools if the government failed to release the money.
The Ministry of Education however announced the disbursement of capitation funds, with a promise to release an additional Ksh.15 billion in the next few weeks.
“We have released Ksh14 billion, and the remaining Ksh15 billion will be given soon. Initially, we had planned for Ksh19 billion, so there is no need for worry,” Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang said.
PS Kipsang issued a commitment that the government would release the remaining Ksh15 billion in the next few weeks to cover capitation at both primary and secondary levels.
“The remaining amount is Ksh15 billion. However, the government has been facing financial challenges,” Kipsang said.
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