The Teachers Service Commission has come under intense scrutiny from the National Assembly Education Committee over delays in teacher promotions and uncertainty surrounding the confirmation of intern teachers to permanent terms.
The concerns emerged during a meeting held at Bunge Towers on Wednesday, where the committee, chaired by Julius Melly, met TSC officials led by Acting Chief Executive Officer Eveleen Mitei to review the 2026/27 Annual Estimates of Expenditure.
Members of Parliament questioned the Commission over staffing shortages, slow promotions, regional disparities in career progression and reports that some school principals were withholding teachers’ academic certificates.
The legislators also demanded accountability on how TSC programmes have been implemented in recent years and their impact on both teachers and learners.
During the session, TSC revealed that out of the 44,000 intern teachers currently serving across the country, only 20,000 would be confirmed to Permanent and Pensionable terms during the 2026/27 financial year.
According to the Commission, the targeted interns are expected to complete their mandatory two-year internship period by January 2027 before being absorbed into permanent employment.
“TSC said the interns earmarked for confirmation are expected to complete their two-year service period by January 2027 before absorption into permanent employment,” officials told the committee.
The Commission further explained that it cannot recruit new teachers on Permanent and Pensionable terms while thousands of interns are still awaiting confirmation.
On recruitment, TSC disclosed that more than 100,000 teachers have been hired over the last three years following increased government funding aimed at addressing staffing shortages in public schools.
The Commission also announced plans to promote close to 30,000 teachers this year, depending on the number of teachers exiting service through retirement, resignation or other factors.
However, MPs raised concerns over delays in the promotion process, with some lawmakers questioning whether all regions and eligible teachers were being treated fairly.
Committee members urged the Commission to ensure equal access to promotion opportunities and improve transparency in career progression.
The lawmakers also raised questions regarding compensation for teachers injured while on duty under the Work Injury Benefits Act (WIBA).
TSC informed the committee that although funds had been requested for WIBA compensation, no allocation was provided in the current budget.
In his closing remarks, Melly urged the Commission to expedite promotions, noting that Parliament had already allocated Sh2 billion for the exercise in the current financial year.
“We have allocated Sh2 billion for teacher promotions and the process should move faster to address concerns raised by teachers across the country,” Melly said.
The committee chairperson also directed TSC to submit the Teachers’ Progression Guidelines for parliamentary review, saying the document would help address persistent complaints from teachers and strengthen oversight of promotion procedures.
The discussions come amid growing pressure from teachers’ unions and education stakeholders calling for faster absorption of intern teachers and more transparent promotion systems within the education sector.