TV OYOMINTO
President William Ruto has directed the Teachers Service Commission to increase the number of teachers scheduled for promotion this financial year from 34,016 to 50,000, in what the government says will be the largest single-year teacher promotion exercise in the country.
Ruto made the announcement on Monday, October 5, during the World Teachers’ Day celebrations at Kasarani Gymnasium in Nairobi, where he outlined a series of measures targeting teachers’ career progression, housing, healthcare and retirement benefits.
The President said the government would provide additional funding to enable the Teachers Service Commission, TSC, to implement the expanded promotion programme. He noted that the teacher promotion budget had already been increased from Sh1 billion to Sh2 billion.
According to figures presented by the President, 126,462 teachers have been promoted since he assumed office in 2022. The latest directive is expected to create thousands of additional opportunities for teachers who have remained in the same job grades for years.
The announcement comes at a time when teacher unions have repeatedly raised concerns about career stagnation and the need for clearer professional progression within the teaching service.
Ruto also announced that the government had allocated Sh4.9 billion to move 20,000 teachers who have served under contract for at least two years to permanent and pensionable terms from January 2027. The move is expected to provide greater job security for teachers who have been working on temporary arrangements.
The President further addressed the issue of teachers’ medical cover, saying the government had strengthened access to healthcare through the Social Health Authority, SHA.
He said the medical scheme had covered more than 415,000 teachers and over 884,000 dependants by the end of September 2026. The number of facilities where teachers could access inpatient services had also increased significantly, according to the government.
The issue of housing also featured prominently during the celebrations. Ruto said 20 per cent of affordable housing units had been reserved for teachers under an agreement involving the Affordable Housing Board, the Kenya National Union of Teachers and the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers.
The government is also working with the Teachers Service Commission on a salary check-off arrangement that would allow teachers to make payments for affordable housing directly from their salaries.
On retirement, the President said the government was working to shorten the period teachers wait before receiving their pension and other retirement benefits.
He said a Pension Management Information System, whose rollout began in July 2026, was being used to improve the processing of pension claims. According to the President, the target is for a retired teacher to receive benefits within 10 days after retirement once the new system is fully operational.
The government has also highlighted investments in education infrastructure. Ruto said more than 23,000 classrooms had been constructed, while 1,600 laboratories were being equipped to support the Senior School Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics pathway.
Teacher training has also received attention, with the government saying more than 220,000 teachers have undergone retooling to support the implementation of Competency-Based Education.
The President’s announcement comes as the education sector continues to undergo significant changes, including the transition to the Competency-Based Curriculum and reforms in senior secondary education.
The new package is likely to be closely watched by teachers and their unions, particularly on whether the announced measures will be fully financed and implemented within the stated timelines.
The government maintains that it has increased investment in education and improved teachers’ welfare, while education stakeholders continue to demand sustainable financing, adequate staffing and better working conditions.
For thousands of teachers, the immediate focus will now shift to the implementation of the 50,000 promotion slots and the conversion of 20,000 contract positions into permanent and pensionable employment.
The measures announced by President Ruto therefore place the government under pressure to translate the promises into concrete improvements in teachers’ careers and working conditions.
The announcements also come as Kenya heads toward the 2027 General Election, making education and teachers’ welfare issues of significant public and political interest.
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