NAIROBI, Kenya – President William Ruto has directed the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to increase the number of teachers eligible for promotion this year from 34,016 to 50,000.
Ruto made the announcement on Monday, October 5, during the World Teachers’ Day celebrations at Kasarani Gymnasium in Nairobi, saying the Government would provide additional funding to support the expanded promotion exercise.
The President said the move would make the 2026 exercise the largest single-year teacher promotion programme in Kenya.
Sh2 Billion Set Aside For Promotions
Ruto said the Government had fulfilled a commitment to double the teacher promotions budget from Sh1 billion to Sh2 billion.
He added that the TSC and teachers’ unions had completed consultations on new career progression guidelines, which are awaiting approval by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission.
“Today I am directing that this number be increased to 50,000, and the Government will provide the additional funding to make this possible,” Ruto said.
The President said 126,462 teachers had been promoted since his administration took office, while acknowledging concerns from teachers who had remained in the same grade for extended periods.
120,000 New Teachers By December
Ruto also highlighted the Government’s efforts to address the national teacher shortage.
He said Kenya had recruited 100,000 teachers over the past four years, compared with an average of 5,000 teachers annually in previous years.
A further 20,000 teachers are expected to join by December, bringing the total number recruited under the current administration to 120,000.
The President said the Government had also allocated Sh4.9 billion to transition 20,000 contract teachers who have served for two years to permanent and pensionable terms from January 2027.
Government Allocates Sh784.5 Billion To Education
Ruto said education funding had increased from Sh526 billion four years ago to Sh702 billion last year and Sh784.5 billion in the current budget.
He said the Government had also built more than 23,000 classrooms and was equipping 1,600 laboratories to support science education and the new Senior School pathways.
On Competency-Based Education, Ruto said more than 220,000 teachers had been retooled, with a further Sh952 million allocated for capacity development.
He said the pioneer CBE class had entered Senior School this year after the Government domiciled Junior School in existing primary schools.
Teachers’ Health Cover Expanded
The President said the Social Health Authority medical scheme currently covers 415,608 teachers and 884,392 dependants.
Between December 2025 and September 2026, he said, more than 680,000 teachers and their family members accessed outpatient, inpatient, optical, dental and imaging services.
Ruto said teachers’ inpatient access rate had doubled from 7 per cent to 14 per cent, bringing it to the level of other civil servants.
The number of facilities where teachers can access inpatient care has also increased from 900 to 3,871, he said.
Teachers To Get Affordable Housing
The President said the Government was also advancing plans to increase teachers’ access to affordable housing.
Under an agreement between the Affordable Housing Board, KNUT and KUPPET, 20 per cent of homes in affordable housing developments are reserved for teachers.
Ruto said the Affordable Housing Board was working with TSC on a check-off system that would allow teachers to pay for their homes directly through their salaries.
He added that the Government was working with teachers’ SACCOs to develop financing options suited to teachers’ incomes.
Government Targets Faster Payment Of Teacher Pensions
Ruto said the TSC and National Treasury began rolling out the Pension Management Information System on July 1, 2026, to speed up payment of retirement benefits.
He said records were being uploaded and that the responsible agencies had assured the Government that, within three months, teachers would be able to receive their retirement benefits within 10 days of retirement.
The President also said the Government had released Sh86.1 billion in school capitation this year, comprising Sh44.2 billion in January, Sh23.4 billion in May and Sh18.5 billion in August.
Ruto Pushes STEM And Digital Skills
Ruto linked education reforms to Kenya’s broader economic transformation agenda, arguing that the country must develop skills needed for a knowledge-driven economy.
He said mathematics was the best-performing subject in the previous year’s KCSE examination, while 58 per cent of the pioneer CBE class chose the STEM pathway in Senior School.
He challenged teachers to embrace digital tools, encourage curiosity and prepare learners for an economy increasingly shaped by technology, artificial intelligence and data.
Ruto said the Government would continue strengthening institutions responsible for teacher professional development, including the Kenya Education Management Institute and the Kenya Institute of Special Education.
The President concluded by urging teachers to safeguard the integrity of national examinations as the examination season begins.
He said every candidate should receive results that accurately reflect their own performance and challenged teachers to guide learners through the examination period.
