Reasons Why MPs Rejected TSC Teachers Promotion List

The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) found itself under intense scrutiny on Tuesday after Members of Parliament raised serious concerns over what they described as an opaque and biased promotion process affecting thousands of teachers across the country.

The legislators, speaking during a session with the National Assembly Committee on Education, challenged the TSC’s recent promotion of 25,252 teachers, claiming that the exercise lacked transparency and failed to address longstanding inequalities within the education system.

Accusations of political interference, uneven distribution of promotions, and favoritism featured prominently in the session.

The promotions followed a government allocation of Sh1 billion by the National Treasury earlier this year, aimed at uplifting teachers who had remained in the same job groups for extended periods, and at addressing staffing imbalances in various regions.

Of the total promoted, 5,690 teachers had applied for positions advertised in November, while another 19,943 responded to calls made in December 2024.

Read Also: TSC Releases List Of Teachers Promoted In 2025, Here’s How To Check

Defending the commission’s actions, TSC Chief Executive Officer Dr. Nancy Macharia maintained that the promotion process was conducted within the confines of the law and designed to reflect the diversity of Kenya’s counties.

She emphasized that the commission had decentralised the interview and selection process to the sub-county level, with the aim of ensuring accessibility and fairness for all applicants.

“The commission ensured opportunities were open to all qualified individuals,” Dr. Macharia told the committee. “Interviews were conducted at the sub-county level to bring the process closer to the applicants and enhance fairness. Every region had a fair chance to put forward its best candidates.”

Dr. Macharia also highlighted that the commission had factored in special considerations to ensure that the most deserving teachers were prioritized.

These considerations included teachers who had served in acting capacities for long periods without formal recognition, educators who had remained in one job group for years without promotion, and older teachers nearing retirement.

Additional criteria used in the evaluation process, according to Dr. Macharia, included Teacher Performance Appraisal and Development (TPAD) scores, participation in co-curricular activities, and general conduct.

However, the MPs were not satisfied with the explanations offered, arguing that the promotion process seemed to favor some regions and individuals while neglecting others equally or more qualified.

Committee Chairperson Julius Melly (Tinderet MP) sharply criticized the apparent uniformity in the distribution of promotions across counties, which, he argued, failed to account for population differences and unique staffing needs.

“How do you justify promoting someone three times in a row, while others have remained stagnant in the same job group for more than a decade?” Melly posed.

He further questioned whether the process had truly been merit-based or merely a tokenistic attempt to balance regional representation without addressing real disparities on the ground.

The committee directed the TSC to return with a comprehensive set of documents detailing how the promotion exercise was carried out. This includes a breakdown of the number of applicants from each sub-county, the specific promotion templates used, scoring rubrics, and data to show how fairness was ensured.

“We’re asking the chairman of the commission, Jamleck Muturi, to provide full documentation on the application and evaluation process,” Melly said. “We want to understand how decisions were made, how fairness was determined, and what mechanisms were in place to ensure no one was unjustly left out.”

Other MPs echoed the concerns. Kitutu Masaba MP Clive Gisairo accused the commission of playing political games under the guise of equity.

He pointed out that while TSC has the constitutional mandate to promote and deploy teachers across the country, the uniform distribution of promotion slots did not reflect actual needs or fairness.

“Was this exercise about genuinely uplifting teachers or simply a balancing act to appease political interests?” Gisairo asked. “Deserving teachers should be promoted based on merit, not geographical considerations. If there is a shortage in one area, promote and redeploy; that is within your power.”

Igembe North MP Julius Taitumu added his voice to the chorus of disapproval, saying the process failed to honor the principle of equity.

According to Taitumu, some of the less-populated counties received the same number of promotion slots as more populous ones, a move he described as illogical and unjust.

“How do you allocate the same number of promotions to a county with 100 schools and another with 300 schools?” he asked. “This is not fairness. This is a distortion of the principle of equal opportunity.”

The TSC now faces pressure to revisit its promotion methodology and provide a clearer, data-backed justification for the decisions made. With the National Assembly demanding transparency and accountability, the commission may have to open up its internal processes for scrutiny to regain the trust of both lawmakers and the teaching fraternity.

As the dust settles, many in the education sector will be watching closely to see whether the TSC will revise its approach or stand by its current model.

For thousands of teachers who feel left behind or unfairly treated, the debate is more than just about numbers, it’s about justice, recognition, and the future of their professional growth.

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