Speaking in Mombasa on Thursday at the Kenya Comprehensive School Heads Association National Annual General Meeting, the President revealed that the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) had signed off on the new framework, clearing the path for immediate rollout. Alongside the funding boost, Ruto pledged to promote 50,000 educators within the current financial year, a move he described as the largest single-year promotion exercise in Kenya’s history.
“The new career progression guidelines that we agreed with the Teachers Service Commission and the unions were concluded two days ago and approved,” Ruto said.
“The Salaries and Remuneration Commission, the body mandated to look into such regulations, has now approved, and the Government of Kenya is going to provide another KSh4 billion to facilitate career progression of our teachers,” he added.
For years, teachers’ unions have pushed the government to dismantle promotion bottlenecks that have stalled career growth across the profession. Addressing the gathering of school heads, Ruto noted that resolving these delays sat at the top of his administration’s education agenda.
“I know that was the most important question you wanted to ask. But you also know that I am a good student, and I do my homework,” he told the delegates.
Beyond promotions, Ruto pointed to his administration’s aggressive recruitment drive aimed at closing chronic staffing gaps in public schools. He said when he took office in 2022, Kenya faced a deficit of 116,000 teachers, with previous governments hiring an average of just 5,000 educators annually.
“In four years, we have recruited 100,000 teachers, and another 20,000 will join in December this year. This will be the largest expansion of the teaching workforce in our nation’s history,” he said.
While growing the workforce remains a priority, Ruto stressed that higher numbers alone cannot transform the education sector. “Numbers alone do not make a profession,” he said, pointing to improved medical insurance, career advancement, and access to affordable housing as essential pillars of teacher welfare.
Through the Social Health Authority (SHA), Ruto said the government has significantly widened medical coverage for educators and their families. The teachers’ medical scheme now covers more than 1.3 million people, comprising 426,000 principal members and 887,000 dependents, and grants access to over 4,000 healthcare facilities nationwide, a sharp increase from the previous 900.
Key benefits under the upgraded medical package include:
Outpatient cover: Ranging from Ksh150,000 to Ksh450,000.
Inpatient cover: Up to Ksh3 million.
Additional benefits: Comprehensive maternity, dental, optical, last-expense, and overseas treatment coverage.
“I deliberately worked on this programme because I know the kind of sacrifices teachers make for them to teach our children,” the President said.
To further strengthen the sector, Ruto urged educators to focus on mentoring learners while the state fortifies their professional and social safety nets. He also directed the Ministry of Education and the TSC to review current school capitation models and submit a report by January 2027, signaling potential reforms to how the government funds public schools.
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