The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) bosses Nancy Macharia and Jamleck Muturi have been forced to revisit their list of 25,252 promoted teachers after Members of Parliament rejected it outright, calling it unfair and skewed.
Lawmakers say the list failed to meet the basic standards of equity and transparency, with some counties receiving more promotions despite having fewer teachers.
Lawmakers grill TSC over regional imbalance
During a charged session with the National Assembly’s Education Committee, MPs accused the commission of favoring certain regions and sidelining teachers who have waited for years.
The committee, led by Tinderet MP Julius Melly, demanded that TSC provide detailed records showing how decisions were made including the list of all applicants, their interview scores, and how long each teacher had served.
“Equity is lacking. This list promotes teachers from the same counties over and over again. That’s not service it’s injustice,” Melly said.
Teachers promoted again while others wait decades
MPs expressed outrage over reports that some teachers who were promoted last year were promoted again, while others with more than 20 years in service were overlooked.
Moiben MP Phylis Bartoo called the process “scandalous,” questioning whether TSC would repeat the same outcome if given a second chance.
“This entire process is a scam. If they were to do it again, they wouldn’t produce the same list,” she said.
Unions and MPs united in opposition
The Kenya National Union of Teachers and KUPPET have both rejected the promotion list, echoing the MPs’ concerns. TSC, however, defended its process, citing Article 56 of the Constitution. Still, lawmakers insist that if fairness and regional balance were applied, the outcome would have been different.
With public pressure mounting and trust shaken, Macharia and Muturi now have no choice but to go back, reassess the process, and ensure that justice is served for all teachers not just a favored few.