The Chief Executive Officer of the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) Dr. Nancy Macharia has called on Members of the National Assembly Constitutional Implementation Oversight Committee (CIOC) to consider engaging relevant institutions of Government on the need to increase their budgetary allocation towards promotion of teachers.

Appearing before the Committee led by Hon. Eric Karemba (Runyenjes) to present a report on the extent to which the commission has discharged its mandate and challenges in implementing these, Dr. Macharia pointed out that currently the Commission receives an allocation of Ksh 1 billion towards promotion of teachers which is not enough.

“Hon. Members, we thank the Government for the provision of the 1 billion towards teachers promotion however we ask that the Government considers increasing the allocation, the money can only promote six thousand teachers when we have five hundred thousand teachers”, Dr. Macharia.

Committee Members Hon. John Chikati (Tongaren) and Hon. Benjamin Majjadonk (Embakasi Central) raised concerns with the issue of deployment of teachers to various schools and the employment in regards to provision of TSC numbers.

“This Committee needs to know why some areas are receiving a small number of teachers like for example Kakamega while others are favoured with more teachers, we want to see uniform distribution of teachers across the country”, Hon. Chikati.

“I request that TSC consider giving employment opportunities to teachers who got TSC numbers first, why should you employ a teacher who graduated yesterday and leave out the one who graduated 10 years ago?”, Hon. Majjadonk asked.

Dr. Macharia in her response, said that all these concerns are guided by the law.

“Hon. Members, the issue of staffing of teachers is guided by the Curriculum based establishment and the staffing norm for primary schools. We have field officers mandated with the redeployment of these teachers, therefore we are guided by the law Hon. Chair”.

Earlier in the meeting, the TSC boss took the Committee through functions and challenges in the Commission. She pointed out the lack of adequate budget to recruit teachers to public schools which is impeding the right to access basic quality education as enshrined under Article 43 of the Constitution.

She revealed that currently the teacher shortage stands at 98,261 including JSS teachers and the number is anticipated to rise in 2026 following the roll out of Senior Schools.

Other challenges presented to the Committee included the rampant establishment of new schools without corresponding budgetary allocations to recruit teaching staff, lack of qualified and trained teachers in a number of new CBC learning areas, hostility from host communities and increased hardship areas requiring hardship allowance among other challenges.