A Senate committee has put the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) on the spot over long-standing complaints by teachers in Samburu County, demanding urgent action on delayed promotions, prolonged acting appointments, staffing shortages and unpaid allowances that have left many educators waiting for years without clear answers.
The concerns dominated a meeting between the Senate Standing Committee on Education and TSC Acting Chief Executive Officer Eveleen Mitei together with the commission's senior management, as lawmakers sought detailed responses to a petition presented by teachers from the county.
Leading the session, committee chairperson Betty Montet said the petition had raised weighty matters affecting the welfare and career growth of teachers and required full responses from the commission before the committee could make its recommendations.
“The petition raises serious concerns touching on human resource management within the teaching service, and the committee is keen to receive comprehensive responses from the commission before determining the way forward,” Montet said.
Responding to the concerns, Mitei told senators that the commission had already put in place reforms intended to improve promotions, leadership development and succession planning through newly developed Career Progression Guidelines (CPGs).
She said the guidelines had been approved internally and were now before the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) for evaluation and authorisation before they can be rolled out.
“The new Career Progression Guidelines have already been approved by the Commission and are currently awaiting evaluation and authorisation by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission. Once finalised, they will pave the way for implementation and provide a more structured pathway for career advancement within the teaching service,” Mitei said.
According to the acting CEO, the proposed framework is expected to make appointments to leadership positions more transparent and based on merit while also strengthening mentorship programmes, professional growth and succession planning for teachers.
She further informed senators that TSC had already advertised promotion opportunities for 34,016 teachers under a Sh2 billion budget.
The discussion also focused on teachers who have remained in acting positions for extended periods without confirmation or payment of acting allowances.
Deputy Director of Legal Services Allan Sitima told the committee that existing laws recognise acting appointments but do not set a limit on how long an officer may serve in such a capacity.
“The law does not specifically prescribe the period one should remain in an acting position. Nevertheless, the commission continues to pursue additional budgetary allocations to facilitate payment of acting allowances and enable substantive appointments whenever resources become available,” Sitima said.
His response drew further questions from senators, with Catherine Mumma seeking to know whether the commission had formally requested the National Treasury to provide funds for unpaid acting allowances and accumulated arrears.
“Have you formally written to the National Treasury indicating that acting allowances remain outstanding and should therefore be budgeted for, including provision for the accrued arrears owed to affected teachers?” she posed.
Mitei admitted that inadequate funding had continued to delay payment despite the commission's commitment to compensating teachers serving in acting roles.
“We are unequivocal that teachers serving in acting positions deserve to be compensated. We consistently provide for these requirements in our budget proposals, but implementation remains dependent on the availability of resources from the National Treasury,” she stated.
The committee also sought an update on affirmative action measures meant to support teachers working in Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs) and other regions that continue to experience staffing challenges.
Addressing the shortage of teachers in Samburu, Mitei said the commission had employed more teachers than those leaving the county through transfers, although staffing levels remained below demand because of financial limitations, movement of teachers and the unique conditions in ASAL areas.
She told senators that TSC recruited 455 teachers in Samburu during the 2024 recruitment exercise, which attracted more than 4,100 applicants.
Machakos Senator Agnes Kavindu Muthama said the shortage of teachers would remain unresolved unless the commission receives enough funding to recruit and retain more teachers where they are needed most.