President William Ruto during a meeting with more than 10,000 teachers at State House, Nairobi on September 13, 2025.
Nearly a year ago, more than 10,000 teachers gathered on the State House lawns, where they were hosted by President William Ruto. They voiced their grievances, and the Head of State responded with a raft of promises to address their concerns.
Among the key pledges was that the government would allocate 20 per cent of affordable housing units to teachers and double annual teacher promotions to 50,000, in an effort to address career stagnation that affects thousands of teachers.
However, the target has fallen short, with the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) having recently advertised 34,000 promotion vacancies since the promise was made.
The shortfall means teachers have received only 68 per cent of the promised target, despite the President presenting the increase as part of measures to address long-standing concerns over teacher stagnation.
Teachers during their meeting with President William Ruto at State House, Nairobi on September 13, 2025.
The Nairobi branch executive secretary of the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut), Mugwe Macharia, noted that the advertised vacancies fell short of what was promised during the meeting dubbed ‘Waalimu na Rais’ held on September 13, 2025.
“We have not seen any doubling of promotion slots from the current 25,000, with TSC advertising only 30,000 vacancies, leaving a deficit of 20,000,” he said.
The promotions pledge was among several commitments made at the State House meeting that unions say have either not been implemented or remain a ‘work in progress’.
President Ruto also promised to shorten the implementation period for the 2025–2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) from four years to two, allocate 20 per cent of affordable housing units to teachers and move special-needs education teachers up one job group.
Dr Ruto further promised the employment of 20,000 intern teachers on permanent and pensionable terms and directed the review of the Career Progression Guidelines (CPG) used by the TSC to promote teachers.
The secretary-general of the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet), Akello Misori, noted that implementation of the President’s commitments depended on the relevant government agencies.
Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers Secretary-General Akello Misori.
“That meeting was not a CBA meeting, so we don’t negotiate with the President on terms. If he makes some promises, those are political promises; we follow them up with the relevant organs,” Mr Misori told Nation.
The promise to shorten the 2025–2029 CBA implementation period from four years to two has also not been implemented, according to the unions. Mr Misori said the President had sought to jump-start the process, but the actual implementation was to be negotiated by teachers and TSC.
“Of great importance to the teachers is the issue related to the CBA, which of course the President, being a partner, was just to jump-start, if it was possible. But that one was between us and the TSC to actualise. This is the only thing which has not kicked off,” he said.
On the promised review of the controversial CPGs, which have been blamed for career stagnation among teachers, the TSC has since proposed the 2026 CPGs that allow teachers to progress to the highest grade in the profession without having to leave the classroom.
The TSC has also introduced separate career tracks for classroom practitioners and those pursuing leadership and administrative roles. However, these remain proposals.
On June 18, 2026, Knut, Kuppet and the Kenya Union of Special Needs Education Teachers (Kusnet) signed the proposed CPGs with the TSC, which were submitted to the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) for review, but nothing has moved since then.
Presidential directive
“Up to now, we are still waiting for the reviewed CPGs to take effect,” Mr Macharia said.
Implementation of the presidential directive to move special-needs education teachers up one job group has also stalled, according to Kusnet.
Union secretary-general James Torome said the 2018 CPG provided for special-needs education teachers to move up two job groups, but this was never implemented, compelling the union to ask the President to intervene.
President Ruto approved the request for immediate implementation, but Mr Torome says the one-grade adjustment remains unimplemented.
Kusnet’s understanding is that TSC has already written to the National Treasury seeking funds to implement the directive, but Treasury has not responded.
On affordable housing, Kuppet says discussions are ongoing to implement the President’s promise that teachers would receive 20 per cent of affordable housing units.
Mr Misori said the union had met the Cabinet Secretary for Land and Housing and formed a technical committee to determine how teachers would access the units under the Boma Yangu programme.
Concerning the pledge to improve teachers’ medical cover, the TSC in December last year migrated teachers from a scheme operated by Minet Kenya to the Public Officers’ Medical Scheme Fund administered by the Social Health Authority (SHA).
The comprehensive medical cover under SHA includes benefits such as inpatient and outpatient services, maternity care, chronic illness management, dental services, optical services, air evacuation, last-expense cover and overseas treatment.
Mr Misori said the union is now engaging the authority on the technical aspects of the cover and how teachers can continue to benefit under the new system.
Knut, however, says challenges under SHA remain, with some hospitals refusing to treat teachers under the new arrangement.
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