President William Ruto has announced a series of measures targeting teacher recruitment, career progression, job security, healthcare and retirement benefits as Kenya marked World Teachers’ Day at Kasarani on Monday. The President said the annual budget for teacher promotions has been doubled to KSh2 billion and directed the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to expand the current promotion exercise to 50,000 teachers.
Highlights
- Teacher promotion budget increased from KSh1 billion to KSh2 billion.
- Ruto directed TSC to raise promotion slots from 34,016 to 50,000.
- Government targets 120,000 teacher recruits by December 2026.
- KSh4.9 billion allocated to move 20,000 eligible contract teachers to permanent and pensionable terms from January 2027.
- More than 415,000 teachers and 884,000 dependants were covered under SHA as of September 2026.
Main Story
Teacher Promotion Budget Doubled
President William Ruto has announced an increase in the annual budget for teacher promotions from KSh1 billion to KSh2 billion.
Speaking during the national World Teachers’ Day celebrations at Kasarani, Ruto said the move follows commitments made to teachers on improving career progression.
The President also revealed that TSC had already advertised 34,016 promotion opportunities but directed the commission to increase the number to 50,000.
He said the government would provide additional resources required to fund the expanded exercise.
Ruto further said TSC and teachers’ unions had completed consultations on revised career progression guidelines, with the proposals awaiting approval by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission.
120,000 Teachers Targeted by December
The President also announced an ambitious expansion of Kenya’s teaching workforce.
According to Ruto, the government has recruited 100,000 teachers over the past four years and expects to add another 20,000 by December 2026.
That would bring the total number of teachers recruited during his administration to 120,000.
The additional recruitment is expected to help address staffing gaps in schools and strengthen the country’s teaching workforce.
20,000 Contract Teachers to Get Permanent Jobs
Teachers working under contracts also received a major announcement.
Ruto said the government has set aside KSh4.9 billion to transition 20,000 contract teachers who have completed at least two years of service to permanent and pensionable terms.
The transition is scheduled to begin in January 2027.
The announcement could provide greater job security for teachers who have spent years serving on contractual terms.
More Teachers Trained for CBC
The President said more than 220,000 teachers have already undergone retooling to prepare them for Competency-Based Education.
He added that the 2026/27 budget contains an additional KSh952 million for teacher capacity development, aimed at preparing educators for new learning areas.
The investment comes as schools continue adapting to changes in Kenya’s education curriculum.
SHA Cover Expanded for Teachers
Ruto also highlighted changes to teachers’ access to healthcare through the Social Health Authority.
He said that by the end of September 2026, the scheme covered 415,608 teachers and 884,392 dependants.
More than 680,000 teachers and their family members reportedly accessed outpatient, inpatient, optical, dental and imaging services between December 2025 and September 2026.
The President said teachers’ inpatient access rate had increased from 7% to 14%.
He also said teachers can now access inpatient services in 3,871 facilities across national and county government hospitals, faith-based facilities and private providers, compared with about 900 facilities previously.
Government Promises Faster Retirement Payments
Ruto further announced plans to reduce the waiting period for teachers’ retirement benefits.
He said the Pension Management Information System being implemented by TSC and the National Treasury is intended to speed up the processing of retirement benefits.
According to the President, government agencies have given an assurance that within the next three months, teachers could begin receiving their retirement benefits within 10 days of leaving service.
CBA Review Also on the Agenda
The President also addressed teachers’ request to shorten the Collective Bargaining Agreement review cycle from four years to two.
Ruto said the current 2025–2029 CBA would continue, but indicated that the two-year review proposal would be considered once the existing agreement concludes.
The government has also allocated KSh8.1 billion in the current budget towards implementation of the teachers’ CBA.
A Wider Focus on Teacher Welfare
The announcements place teacher career progression alongside recruitment, employment security, healthcare, remuneration and retirement benefits.
For thousands of educators, the most immediate areas to watch will be the implementation of the expanded promotion exercise, the recruitment of the additional 20,000 teachers and the planned conversion of 20,000 contract teachers to permanent and pensionable terms.
As the government rolls out the measures, teachers’ unions and the TSC will remain key players in determining how the commitments translate into actual changes on the ground.
For Kenya’s teachers, the announcements now move from promises to implementation and the real measure will be how quickly these commitments translate into promotions, permanent jobs and better working conditions.
