The Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) has slammed the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) for failing to secure promotions for teachers who have served in a single job group for over a decade.
In a statement on Monday, August 11, KUPPET Secretary General Akello Misori claimed that the service should emulate the National Police Service (NPS), which has recently announced automatic promotion for police officers who have served in a job group for a long time.
Akello claims that the commission should ensure that these teachers are automatically promoted without interviews or through advertised vacancies, since they are already qualified for the job.
"We commend the National Police Service for announcing promotions for police officers who have been stuck in a single job group for more than 10 years. Under the policy by the service, the service will see the promotion of police officers without the declaration of vacancies or interviews," Akello said.
Moses Nthurima, the union's Deputy Secretary General, claims that the halt in teacher promotions, which he described as discriminatory, has revealed TSC's unwillingness to adequately address problems impacting educators nationwide.
"When a government singles out a sector for employment and rewards them with summary promotion, it is curious, it is good that they have promoted police who have stagnated in one job group for more than 10 years, but what about teachers?" Moses Nthurima stated.
The announcement comes days after the Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen announced that the NPS had lowered the automatic promotion age for long-serving police officers from age 53 to 50.
According to Murkomen, if a police officer has served as a corporal, sergeant, or constable for more than 15 years and has reached the age of 50, he will be automatically promoted.
On the other hand, an inspector who has served in their role for more than 10 years and has reached the age of 50 will also enjoy the same benefit.
Additionally, Murkomen claimed that the ministry would also develop more strategies to ensure that police officers are considered for transfer within a shorter period.
"Inspector General of Police, Douglas Kanja, had previously announced that the promotional age of officers who have served for long as corporals is 53 and above; however, this has changed," Murkomen said.
"The promotion board sat down yesterday and agreed that if a police officer is 50 years old and has served as a constable, corporal, or sergeant for more than 15 years, he will be promoted, and if you have been an inspector for 10 years, you will also be automatically promoted," he added.
