Education Principal Secretary Julius Bitok has announced that the government will begin a nationwide promotion exercise targeting thousands of teachers. The initiative, which has been dormant for a while, is expected to benefit educators who have stagnated in the same job groups for years.
Speaking in the Malava Constituency in Kakamega County on Tuesday afternoon during an engagement with teachers, the PS stated that the government had set aside Ksh1 billion for the exercise to ensure that deserving teachers are recognised and elevated.
He further announced that the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) will prioritise educators who have been in the same job group for an extended period. The government will also begin recruiting more teachers to bridge the gap created by the implementation of the Competency-Based Education (CBE) system.
“We have heard you, teachers. There is a challenge with promotions. I want to announce that the government has set aside Ksh1 billion for the promotion of teachers this year. Promotion is coming, and it is coming very soon,” Bitok said.
“TSC is going to roll out a programme to ensure that those who have stagnated for a long time will be the first to be considered,” he added.
Medical Insurance
On the matter of medical insurance, which has sparked discontent among teachers, Bitok announced that the government plans to enrol all teachers under the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) plan. He assured that the move would bring clarity to the medical cover confusion that has plagued teachers in recent months.
In a move to support infrastructure development in junior secondary schools, the PS also revealed that the government will construct 1,600 science laboratories across the country. He said a mapping exercise had already been completed to identify the targeted regions.
Shift to KEMIS
Bitok defended the government's decision to shift from the NEMIS system to the Kenya Education Management Information System (KEMIS), saying the new platform would help address inefficiencies and curb fraudulent allocation of resources to non-existent schools.
He noted that KEMIS would be rolled out in the next three months and will serve as a centralised system connecting all levels of education from primary to universities and related parastatals.
“The system will connect all educational levels—primary, secondary, TVETs, universities, and all parastatals—so that it becomes a one-stop solution to the problems we are currently facing,” he said.
Standard Newspaper
Without directly mentioning The Standard newspaper, the PS appeared to dismiss a report published on Tuesday that painted the Ministry of Education as disjointed, with Principal Secretaries allegedly undermining the Cabinet Secretary, Julius Ogamba.
Bitok insisted the ministry operates collaboratively, adding that the shift from the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) to the broader Competency-Based Education (CBE) was a collective decision meant to include teachers, parents, and other stakeholders in the education system.
He also dismissed claims that the education sector was in crisis, particularly concerning recent delays in capitation disbursement. According to Bitok, the government has committed an unprecedented Ksh702 billion to the sector, emphasising its commitment to improving education.
