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Kuppet demands publication of list of teachers eligible for promotion

Kuppet acting Secretary-General Moses Nthurima (centre) addresses journalists at the union’s headquarters in Nairobi yesterday. He is flanked by National Chairman Omboko Milemba (right) and Vice Chairperson Julius Korir.

Photo credit: Lucy Wanjiru | Nation Media Group

The Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) has demanded that the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) immediately publish a list of all teachers eligible for promotion in the 2024–2025 cycle.

The union on Thursday raised fairness and equity concerns over the ongoing promotion process. The officials expressed frustration over failure by the TSC to publish a list of teachers eligible for automatic promotion under the Presidential Award for excellence in drama, music and sports.

“Barely a week is left to the short-listing of candidates. Teachers who should benefit from the automatic promotions are in the dark as the TSC and the Ministry of Education play hide-and-seek games over the list,” said Kuppet acting secretary-general Moses Nthurima.

“We demand the immediate publication of the list and the preservation of the teachers’ hard-earned right to promotion under the scheme.”

He spoke during a press conference at the union headquarters in Nairobi.

Further, the union called for fair distribution of promotion vacancies across the country.

According to the lobby, the TSC has allocated vacancies equally among the 47 counties, regardless of the disparities in the number of teachers in each region.

“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 clear implication is that a teacher in the smaller county is 10 times more likely to get promoted compared to his or her counterpart in the more populous county,” said Mr Nthurima.

The teachers’ union called on TSC to fast-track a staffing system for teachers in Arid and Semi-Arid Areas (Asal).

Initially intended to address staffing shortages in Asal regions, Kuppet argues that the system has created inequities in the promotion process.

Under the current appraisal system, the union argues that teachers in Asal areas who have served in administrative roles for only six months are fast-tracked into substantive positions, leaving more experienced teachers from other areas overlooked.

“The fast-track [system], which was intended to improve staffing in hardship areas, is now a major cause of inequality, the commission is confirming teachers in hardship areas who have acted in administrative positions for only six months into their substantive positions when more qualified teachers from other areas are left out. 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,” Mr Nthurima said.