Teacher unions have strongly opposed the Teachers Service Commission’s (TSC) new requirement that principals and deputies in secondary schools must hold a master’s degree. The Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) and the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) have described the directive as discriminatory and abrupt.
KUPPET deputy secretary-general Moses Nthurima said the new rule risks sidelining experienced teachers who have served for decades without pursuing master’s programs. He argued that many educators were caught unprepared, and the commission failed to provide support for teachers to upgrade their qualifications.
“This directive has come too suddenly. Long-serving teachers without master’s degrees will feel discriminated against. If TSC wanted to go this direction, they should have first supported teachers financially and logistically to pursue higher studies,” Nthurima said.
KNUT deputy secretary-general Hesbon Otieno echoed the concerns, urging TSC to sensitize teachers before rolling out such policies. He also criticised the continued practice of delocalisation through promotions, saying it punishes teachers by separating them from families or stripping them of hardship allowances.
Union leaders argue that the requirement contradicts recent collective bargaining agreements in which TSC declined to include a master’s degree as a mandatory promotion qualification. They are now calling for structured consultations before implementation.
