The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has kicked off the distribution of promotion letters to its County Directors’ offices. While this is a step forward, the Commission hasn’t yet shared the list of teachers who passed the promotion interviews conducted in January and February. According to TSC policy, these names should be published for public access, but as of March 31, 2025, they’re still missing from the TSC website.
If you’re one of the teachers who successfully navigated the promotion process, you’ll be receiving your letter soon. On the other hand, those who didn’t make the cut will get regret letters. For post-primary teachers, interviews took place from January 27 to February 6, 2025, covering Teacher Training Colleges (TTCs) and secondary schools. Primary school interviews happened earlier, from January 13 to January 23, 2025.
TSC had opened up 25,288 promotion slots for both primary and post-primary school teachers. Initially, 5,690 slots were advertised for school administrators from November 12 to November 18, 2024. Following that, on December 17, 2024, an additional 19,943 positions were advertised, focusing on teachers from job group C1 to D3, with applications done online. Out of these, 16,109 slots were for primary schools, while 9,179 targeted post-primary institutions.
This year’s promotion cycle saw a massive influx of applicants, with TSC reporting 189,000 applications: 96,640 from primary school teachers and 44,043 from post-primary institutions. Unlike previous years, these interviews emphasized document verification over direct questioning, with involvement from Sub County Directors, Human Resource Officers, and Curriculum Support Officers.
The TSC promotion scoresheet gave an edge to experienced teachers, especially those aged 45 and above. Teachers aged 55 years and over earned 30 marks, those between 50 and 54 years received 26 marks, and those aged 45 to 49 got 22 marks. Younger educators scored fewer marks. Academic qualifications also played a role, with Master’s degree holders getting 5 marks, degree holders 3 marks, and diploma holders 1 mark. Experience in the current job grade was another factor, with teachers serving seven or more years earning 50 marks.
Performance in the Teacher Performance Appraisal and Development (TPAD) system was also considered, with higher ratings translating to more points. Additional marks were awarded for experience as Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) examiners and for presentation skills.
Teachers who secure promotions will pick up their letters from County and Sub County Directors and will be placed in schools with vacancies. Those who didn’t qualify will receive regret letters and can try again in the future. TSC has allocated Ksh 1 billion for teacher promotions in 2025 to tackle staffing shortages expected due to mass retirements by mid to late 2025, particularly among leadership roles.
Successful candidates need to submit five key clearance documents as required by Chapter 6 of the Kenyan Constitution on leadership and integrity. These include:
- A Valid Certificate of Good Conduct from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI)
- A Clearance Certificate from the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB)
- A Tax Compliance Certificate from the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA)
- Clearance from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC)
- A Clearance Certificate from an approved Credit Reference Bureau (CRB)
In response to the growing demand for promotions, TSC is seeking additional funds to promote 20,000 more teachers this year. This move aims to boost career progression and address staffing needs in educational institutions.
Previously, TSC had advertised 19,943 promotion vacancies across various teaching roles, including Chief Principals and Senior Principals, distributed across different grades and T-scales, including both regular and Special Needs Education (SNE) institutions.
