How cracks emerged between TSC, teachers' unions months after Ruto's pledges

Barely three months after President William Ruto made promises to Kenya’s teachers at State House, Nairobi, cracks are emerging between teachers’ unions and the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) over implementation, trust and accountability.

This came out from a two-day meeting between the TSC and the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) ended in disarray.

The talks, convened to assess progress on commitments made by the President on September 13, collapsed amid accusations that the commission is deliberately dragging its feet on issues that directly affect teachers’ welfare.

At the heart of the dispute are pledges that had raised rare optimism among teachers after years of stalled reforms, slow promotions and bitter industrial standoffs, with the union saying the State House meeting promises has since evaporated in the thin air.

According to KUPPET Secretary General Akelo Misori, the Naivasha talks revealed a worrying gap between promises and implementation.

“The union is concerned by the slow pace of action on all the issues,” Misori said.

KUPPET faulted the commission for not taking bold steps towards implementing the critical commitments.

“We were shocked that the TSC had not made any funding request to Parliament for the promotion of 25,000 more teachers during the upcoming supplementary budget due by the end of January 2026,” Misori said.

President Ruto’s extraordinary meeting with more than 10,000 teachers from across the country was framed as a turning point to embrace dialogue over strikes, and a promise that teachers’ long-standing grievances would finally be addressed.

Among the key commitments under review were proposals to reduce the 2025–2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) cycle from four years to two, promote an additional 25,000 teachers and allocate 20 per cent of Affordable Housing Programme units to teachers.

Other issues include confirming 20,000 intern teachers into permanent and pensionable terms, provide a superior medical cover, review the Career Progression Guidelines (CPGs), and reform pension administration.

Speaking at State House, President Ruto acknowledged that teachers’ concerns were legitimate and overdue.

“There is no need for teachers to go to the streets over matters that can be solved amicably,” he said.

On salaries, he accepted the teachers’ request to shorten the CBA review cycle, directing the TSC, the Ministry of Education and unions to deliberate and propose the appropriate period.

“We are going to review the medical cover for teachers because the current one does not meet the medical needs of the teaching fraternity,” the President added, pledging parity with schemes enjoyed by other civil servants.

The President also presided over the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between teachers’ unions and the Affordable Housing Board, guaranteeing that 20 per cent of affordable housing units would be reserved for teachers.

“Through the Housing Levy, teachers contribute Sh900 million every month. They deserve decent homes like the rest of Kenyans,” he said.

On promotions, Ruto announced that the government would double the annual promotions budget from Sh1 billion to Sh2 billion, allowing up to 50,000 teachers to be promoted each year.

He disclosed that 151,000 teachers had been promoted in the past three years but admitted that a huge backlog remained. He also introduced a “First In, First Out” policy for recruitment to prioritise long-serving unemployed teachers, including those aged 45 and above.

“Teachers are the greatest patriots and heroes of the Republic of Kenya. They mind the children of others and spend sleepless nights thinking about them,” he said.

The union now faulted the commission for failing to convene a technical committee tasked with reviewing teachers’ job descriptions, a necessary step before revising the much-criticised Career Progression Guidelines.

“The technical committee charged with reviewing the Job Description for teachers, which is a precondition for the review of CPGs has not met for more than five months since its formation,” Misori noted.

Intern teachers remain another flashpoint. KUPPET expressed dissatisfaction with new policy guidelines that, it argues, risk turning teachers into casual workers.

“The guidelines provide for open-ended internship service, without specific timelines for confirmation into permanent terms,” Misori said.

Most controversially, the union accused the TSC of hiding behind funding constraints to justify its failure to confirm 20,000 intern teachers, despite not seeking the necessary funds from Parliament.

“Most regrettably, the commission blames funding for its failure to convert 20,000 current interns into permanent employment, yet it had not sought such funding from parliament,” he said.

“It is a case of the TSC eating its cake and having it at the same time.”

Misori said the TSC briefed the union on consultations with government agencies, including the Salaries and Remuneration Commission, and welcomed the establishment of a liaison desk at the National Treasury to fast-track pension processing.

The union also acknowledged improvements in disciplinary processes that have reduced delays in hearing cases and appeals.

“The union took note of reforms in the disciplinary process which have speeded up the hearing and determination of disciplinary cases and appeals,” he said.

The fallout from the Naivasha meeting has hardened positions, with unions warning that patience is wearing thin. While no immediate industrial action has been announced, the tone has shifted from cautious engagement to open suspicion.

For the TSC, the challenge lies in balancing the budgetary allocation, bureaucratic processes and rising expectations fuelled by presidential pronouncements.