President William Ruto has announced plans to promote 50,000 teachers, saying the government has set aside Sh4 billion for the exercise.
“This financial year, 50,000 teachers will be promoted in the largest promotion exercise ever undertaken in a single year. Just two days ago, the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) approved the new Career Progression Guidelines agreed upon by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) and teachers’ unions, marking a significant milestone in the professional advancement of our teachers,” he said.
The announcement comes amid longstanding concerns over career stagnation in the teaching profession.
The president, who was speaking while closing the Kenya Comprehensive Schools Heads Association (KECSHA) conference in Mombasa yesterday, also directed the Ministry of Education to work with the association to develop proposals to amend the Basic Education Act and provide a legal framework for comprehensive schools.
He gave the ministry and KECSHA 90 days to present the proposals, saying the changes should address the governance, staffing and financing of the institutions.
Dr Ruto said the responsibilities of school heads had expanded beyond primary education, with administrators now overseeing learners from pre-primary to Grade 9.
He also reiterated that 20 per cent of affordable housing units had been reserved for teachers, even though the directive was recently struck down by the courts.
He added that the government was working to improve the teachers’ medical cover through the Social Health Authority (SHA). He said teachers and their dependants were covered under the Teachers Medical Scheme, comprising 426,642 principal members and 887,358 dependants.
President William Ruto (right) shakehands with Collins Oyuu (left) the Secretary General of Kenya Union of Teachers (KNUT) during the Closing day of the Kenya Comprehensive School Heads Association (KECSHA) Annual Conference in Mombasa on November 12, 2026.
Photo credit: Kevin Odit | Nation
The scheme has been expanded to more than 4,000 health facilities countrywide, with outpatient benefits ranging between Sh150,000 and Sh450,000. The services covered include consultations, laboratory tests, imaging, medication and annual check-ups. Inpatient cover extends to Sh3 million, with additional benefits for dental, optical, maternity, last expense and overseas treatment.
He said the government was also bringing primary and junior school capitation together under a single funding model for comprehensive schools.
The president urged school heads to plan their activities with confidence, saying the government had released Sh44.2 billion in January, Sh23.4 billion in April and Sh18.5 billion in August ahead of the school calendar.
“That is more than Sh86 billion released ahead of the school calendar, not behind it. This is not a one-year gesture. It is now the rule. From 2027 onwards, capitation funds will be released before schools reopen,” he said.
Dr Ruto further announced a national target requiring every Kenyan child to acquire basic literacy and numeracy skills by the end of Grade 3 by 2030. He directed the Ministry of Education, TSC, the Kenya National Examinations Council and county governments to establish an assessment and reporting system to monitor progress towards the target.
“We will measure progress every year, and we will publish the results, county by county and school by school, so that every parent can see how far we have come,” he said.
The president challenged school administrators to prioritise foundational learning by deploying their strongest teachers to Grades 1 to 3. He cited the Usawa Agenda assessment, which found that fewer than three in 10 Grade 4 learners could read and comprehend a Grade 3 story and solve a Grade 3 numeracy problem. A similar assessment conducted in junior schools in August found that 29 per cent of Grade 9 learners lacked both skills.
Head Teachers attending the Kenya Comprehensive School Heads Association (KECSHA) National Annual General Meeting in Mombasa on November 11, 2026.
Photo credit: Kevin Odit | Nation
The President also acknowledged existence of ghost learners, raising concerns over irregularities in school enrolment records. He cited a recent audit that had identified about 800,000 non-existent pupils in primary school registers and nearly 200 schools that existed only on paper.
However, he said, the government was digitising learner records to ensure that public funds reach genuine learners.
“Money must reach classrooms with children, not registers with ghost learners,” he said.
Dr Ruto said the government had recruited 100,000 teachers in four years and planned to recruit another 20,000 in December to address the teacher shortage.
He urged school heads to strengthen accountability, protect learners from abuse and discrimination, and involve parents in school activities, saying public resources and children’s futures must be managed responsibly.
The more than 15,000 school heads attending the conference, led by KECSHA Chairperson Fuad Ali praised the government’s investment in education. Mr Ali credited the administration with increasing teacher recruitment and improving the working environment for school administrators. He also rallied the school heads behind Dr Ruto’s bid for a second term, citing the government’s education reforms and the revised career progression guidelines.
“We welcome the comprehensive schools under one leader. The CPG you have given your word on means there is no stagnation; now we can move up to chief principals. Thank you. You deserve a second term,” he said.
Head Teachers attending the Kenya Comprehensive School Heads Association (KECSHA) National Annual General Meeting in Mombasa in on November 9, 2026.
Photo credit: Kevin Odit | Nation
Kenya National Union of Teachers Secretary-General Collins Oyuu also praised the government’s teacher recruitment record.
“I have been speaking about employment of teachers in every other platform. We must tell the public that of all the Presidents we have had in Kenya, we cannot compare Dr Ruto with any other in terms of employment of teachers,” he said.
