The government plans to employ an additional 20,000 teachers in the next fiscal year to address the current shortage, primarily in Junior Secondary Schools (JSS).
In a joint meeting between the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) and the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) at Sawela Lodge in Naivasha they further agreed to promote over 30,000 teachers.
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Interestingly, senior officials from TSC were conspicuously absent during a media briefing by the KUPPET National Executive Committee.
Addressing the press, KUPPET National Chairman Milemba Omboko stated that out of the 50,000 teachers who had stagnated for years, 30,000 would benefit in the upcoming financial year.
Omboko noted that since 2017, the majority of teachers had not been promoted. He added that the Naivasha meeting had resolved this, with the changes taking effect from June this year.
He mentioned that Sh4bn would be required for employing the 20,000 teachers, who would help address the crisis in JSS across the country.
Accompanied by top union officials, Omboko stated that the government had promised to reassess the teachers’ medical cover.
“The government will look at the implementation of new Group Life Cover, Group Personal Accident Cover and Work Injury Benefits insurance for teachers as part of the medical scheme,” he said.
On his part, the union secretary-general, Akelo Misori, stated that out of the 20,000 teachers to be employed in JSS, 2,000 would be posted to ASAL regions.
He added that TSC had agreed to convert all the 26,000 intern teachers recruited in 2023 to permanent and pensionable terms in January 2025.
Misori added that the union was content with the recent promotion of over 50,000 teachers after an audit indicated that only 14 cases had issues.
Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) Secretary-General Akelo Misori
“The Commission has addressed our concerns about the promotion of teachers not in the payroll and explained the remedy for 14 teachers who earned the promotion while not being in the payroll,” he said.
The SG expressed the union’s concern over the poor staffing of schools, particularly Junior Secondary Schools, where only two teachers per stream were currently handling all the learning areas.
