By James Murimi - Reporter
Kenya, May 23, 2026 - The government will promote 50,000 teachers in the 2026/27 financial year after increasing funding for the education sector, Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has announced.
Speaking during a thanksgiving ceremony for newly elected Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) Meru Branch Executive Secretary Njira Muthomi in Meru on Saturday, Prof Kindiki said the administration had doubled the initial target of 25,000 promotions following consultations with teachers’ unions.
“In the coming budget, we have factored in the money for teachers’ promotions. The target was 25,000 teachers initially but after further consultations with the unions, the government will now be promoting 50,000 teachers,” he said.
The DP said thousands of teachers had stagnated in the same job groups for more than a decade, promising that the new promotions would address long-standing concerns over career progression and welfare.
“We are doing everything possible to improve teachers’ welfare through better terms of service and increasing their number to reduce the workload of the individual teacher,” he added.
The announcement comes as the government seeks to ease growing pressure from teachers over promotions, staffing shortages and concerns surrounding medical cover under the Social Health Authority (SHA).
Prof Kindiki assured teachers that the government was reviewing SHA packages to ensure educators receive better healthcare services.
“We need to improve the SHA packages for teachers. We will expedite resolution of issues raised by teachers to ensure their health is assured because it is paramount to have a healthy teacher,” he stated.
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The Deputy President defended the government’s investment in the education sector, saying the education budget had risen sharply from Sh500 billion in 2022 to Sh765 billion in the next financial year.
He said the administration had already hired 100,000 teachers since taking office and plans to recruit another 20,000 in the coming weeks to address staff shortages in schools.
According to Prof Kindiki, the government has also constructed 23,000 classrooms and 1,600 laboratories, while 3,300 tutors have been recruited for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions.
On the contentious issue of Junior Secondary Schools (JSS), the DP said the government was open to discussions on granting the institutions autonomy.
“We have heard your requests to make JSS autonomous. We are going to discuss with various stakeholders to see what we can do as we wait for parliamentary intervention,” he said.
Prof Kindiki further praised teachers for their role in shaping society, describing them as selfless professionals who dedicate their lives to the welfare of learners.
“Teachers are the only people who spend most of their time thinking about the welfare of children of other people more than they think about their own,” he said.