The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has rescheduled promotion interviews of 21,000 teachers that were set for October 17, 2025, following the government’s declaration of the day as a public holiday to honour the late Raila Amolo Odinga.
TSC Acting Chief Executive Officer Ms Everleen Mitei said that the decision was made in respect of the national period of mourning and in recognition of Mr Odinga’s contributions to the country.
The interviews will now be conducted over three working days from October 21 to October 23, 2025.
Ms Mitei added that respective regional directors will communicate the revised interview schedules and share logistical details with the affected candidates.
“TSC appreciates your professionalism, patience, and dedication during this period. Let us take this time to reflect on the enduring legacy of Mr Odinga, a national icon whose contributions to democracy, education, and public service will forever be remembered,” she said.
The teacher's employer is targeting to promote 21,000 teachers across all cadres at a cost of Sh1 billion in the 2025/2026 financial year.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba said a TSC report shows a substantial shortage of teachers in public learning institutions.
He said the shortage is acute in specialised subjects such as Social Studies, Integrated Science, Pre-technical Studies, and various vocational and STEM fields.
"This underscores the urgent need for expanded and targeted teacher training programmes, especially at diploma and degree levels, to address these gaps and support Kenya's curriculum reforms," he added.
Mr Ogamba said TSC currently manages a workforce of about 431,831 employed teachers but also faces a backlog of approximately 369,430 registered but unemployed teachers, reflecting a mismatch between supply and employment opportunities.
The CS said the supply of trained teachers from pre-service institutions shows growing enrolment but still faces challenges in matching demand.
Data from the Ministry of Education shows that public diploma teacher training colleges have a combined capacity of approximately 49,000 for primary and secondary teacher training.
Mr Ogamba said universities have expanded teacher education programmes substantially, with over 183,000 students enrolled in bachelor's degree programmes in education, predominantly in Education Arts (57.1 percent) and Education Science (29.3 percent).
However, postgraduate enrolment remains low.
This the CS says indicates a need to enhance pathways for advanced teacher training and specialisations.
