NAIROBI, Kenya – The Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) has accused the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) of failing to implement key presidential directives issued after a landmark meeting between President William Ruto and thousands of teachers last year.
In September, President Ruto met more than 10,000 teachers at State House and made several commitments aimed at improving their welfare, including the promotion of over 50,000 teachers, the absorption of 20,000 intern teachers into permanent employment, and reforms to the collective bargaining agreement (CBA).
However, KUPPET now says the promises remain largely unfulfilled.
Speaking during a press briefing, KUPPET Secretary-General Akelo Misori faulted the Commission for what he described as deliberate inaction, accusing it of failing to seek the necessary funding from Parliament and the National Treasury to facilitate the additional 25,000 teacher promotions promised by the President.
“We are shocked that TSC has not made any funding requests to Parliament for the promotion of 25,000 more teachers in the upcoming supplementary budget, which is due by the end of January 2026,” Misori said.
During the State House meeting, President Ruto directed that the number of teachers promoted annually be doubled from 25,000 to 50,000, arguing that the existing pace was too slow.
He also pledged to shorten the 2025–2029 CBA cycle from four years to two years and allocate 20 per cent of affordable housing units to teachers.
Misori further raised concern over TSC’s failure to convene a technical committee tasked with reviewing teachers’ job descriptions, saying the delay was stalling career progression reforms.
He revealed that talks between the union and TSC showed that funding constraints had also affected plans to convert 20,000 intern teachers into permanent and pensionable positions.
KUPPET warned that the Commission’s current policy guidelines risk turning intern teachers into “casual labourers” within the public education system.
The union also said it had not received any official communication on the President’s directive to shorten the next CBA cycle.
KUPPET National Chairman Omboko Milemba echoed the concerns, vowing to keep pressure on the Commission until the CBA directive is implemented.
On affordable housing, Milemba said the union had written to Housing Principal Secretary Charles Hinga seeking clarity on the promised 20 per cent allocation for teachers but had yet to receive a response.
“We have given the PS up to January to update us on this matter. Failure to do so will force us to take serious measures,” Milemba warned.
The union also flagged unresolved issues around the review of the Career Progression Guidelines and the transition of teachers’ medical cover from Minet to the Social Health Authority (SHA), saying it was closely monitoring developments.
