Teachers in Kenya’s Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASAL) have been dealt a devastating blow after the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) withdrew more than 1,400 promotion slots, disproportionately affecting marginalized regions.
According to a May 2025 TSC status report to Parliament, the move was prompted by a reassessment of eligibility that found 1,864 teachers nationwide had not met the three-year experience requirement. However, the impact has not been evenly distributed.
Nine ASAL counties cumulatively lost 1,464 promotion slots. The most affected counties were Lamu (-204), Isiolo (-196), Marsabit (-185), Mandera (-191), and Samburu (-158). In contrast, 12 better-resourced counties such as Kakamega, Machakos, Kitui, and Meru gained a combined 878 promotion slots. Kakamega alone gained 97, while Kitui and Meru gained 81 and 73 respectively.
This disparity has sparked outrage from educators and unions. Teachers in the ASAL region argue that many have served in acting roles as deputies or principals for years — often under extreme conditions — and were promised consideration through a waiver of the three-year rule.
“This waiver was meant to empower us, not eliminate us from the promotion list,” said a teacher in Wajir County.
Janet Muthoni of the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) echoed the concern, calling it an act of “administrative betrayal” that has hit the very educators the policy was meant to uplift.
Lawmakers representing affected counties have demanded answers, accusing the TSC of sidelining hardship regions in favor of more accessible urban centers.
The TSC, on its part, insists the redistribution was grounded in eligibility and fairness. It has pledged to streamline guidelines for future promotions. However, that promise offers little solace to teachers in marginalized counties who feel robbed of hard-earned recognition.
As one Samburu teacher lamented: “We’re being told to keep acting and keep waiting while others get rewarded for less.”
