Many graduates hoping to secure jobs and promotions through the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) will now have to wait longer than expected.
This delay is mainly because the TSC is currently dealing with a serious shortage of funds, which has made it difficult to carry out its key responsibilities.
While speaking to members of the National Assembly’s Constitutional Implementation Oversight Committee (CIOC), TSC Chief Executive Officer Nancy Macharia revealed that the commission is going through a major human resource crisis.
She warned that this problem could have a negative impact on the quality of education in the country if not addressed urgently.
Macharia further pointed out that the issue is likely to become worse with the ongoing rollout of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), especially at the Senior Secondary School level.
The new curriculum demands the hiring of many more teachers to meet its needs.
According to the TSC, the current shortage stands at 98,261 teachers, and this number is projected to increase by the year 2026.
Although the government sets aside Ksh1 billion each year for promoting teachers, this amount is not enough to support the rising number of qualified teachers who deserve promotions.
TSC noted that the allocated Ksh1 billion can only promote about 6,000 teachers per year, which is a very small portion of the over 500,000 teachers currently in service.
“We appreciate the government’s effort in providing Ksh1 billion annually for promotions, but this is far from enough.
Only 6,000 teachers benefit from this fund, leaving the majority of deserving educators demoralized. This not only affects morale but also the quality of education being delivered in schools,” said Macharia.
During the same meeting, Members of Parliament raised concerns over the unequal distribution of teachers across the country.
Tongaren MP John Chikati highlighted that some regions, like Kakamega County, continue to receive fewer teachers compared to others, which creates an unfair system.
“This committee needs clear answers on why certain counties are not getting a fair share of teachers. It’s important that we ensure all regions receive equal treatment when it comes to teacher deployment,” Chikati emphasized.
The lawmakers also called on TSC to give priority to unemployed teachers who have already been registered with the commission and have been waiting for years without being hired.
In response, Macharia explained that the hiring and deployment of teachers are based on official policies and frameworks.
These include the Curriculum-Based Establishment (CBE) and national staffing norms, which guide how teachers are allocated to both primary and junior secondary schools.
“Our recruitment and deployment processes are structured around curriculum requirements and established staffing standards.
We also have officers in the field who monitor and manage redeployments to make sure these policies are followed properly,” she explained.
TSC is facing a number of ongoing challenges. These include the creation of new public schools without receiving additional funding to hire staff, a shortage of teachers trained to handle CBC subjects, increased staffing needs in hardship areas, and in some cases, resistance or hostility from local communities where teachers are deployed.
All these factors continue to slow down the employment and promotion of qualified teachers, leaving thousands of graduates uncertain about when they will finally be absorbed into the civil service.
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