President William Ruto has directed the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to increase the number of teachers eligible for promotion in the 2026/27 financial year from 34,000 to 50,000.
Speaking on Monday, October 5, during the World Teachers' Day celebrations at Kasarani, Ruto noted that TSC had already advertised 34,016 promotion opportunities, with approximately Ksh2 billion set aside for the exercise.
However, he instructed the commission to expand the number of promotion slots to 50,000, assuring that the government would provide the additional funding required.
"TSC has already advertised 34,016 promotion opportunities. This will be the largest single teacher promotion exercise undertaken in one year," Ruto stated.
"I want to encourage TSC to increase the number of promotions from 34,000 to 50,000. The government will make additional resources available for that promotion," he added.
The announcement comes weeks after TSC invited applications for more than 34,000 teacher promotion positions and issued guidelines governing the exercise for the 2026/27 financial year.
The commission said the promotions would be based on structured career progression and standardised assessment, replacing a previous system that placed greater emphasis on age, seniority and accumulated experience.
Under the revised guidelines, teachers are required to have served for at least three years in their current grade, a condition that was also applied during the 2025/26 promotion exercise.
The framework also places greater weight on teachers' disciplinary records. Regulation 77 of the Code of Regulations for Teachers (2015) bars promotion of teachers who have recently been found guilty of disciplinary offences or received administrative warnings.
JSS Teachers to Get Permanent Terms
Ruto also revised his earlier commitment regarding Junior Secondary School (JSS) teachers who have been serving on contractual terms.
He announced that more than 20,000 JSS teachers who have served for over two years will be transitioned to permanent and pensionable terms starting January 2027.
The announcement is expected to affect teachers who have continued working under contract despite having accumulated more than two years of service.
Ruto Announces Timeline for Career Progression Guidelines
The President further announced that the new Career Progression Guidelines for teachers will be approved within the next two weeks after TSC and teachers' unions concluded consultations.
According to Ruto, the guidelines are currently awaiting approval from the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC).
The framework is expected to provide a clearer pathway for teachers seeking career advancement, particularly those who have remained in the same job grade for extended periods.
"The TSC and your unions have finalised consultations on the new Career Progression Guidelines and are waiting for approval of the SRC. That exercise will be concluded in the next two weeks," Ruto said.
