Acting TSC CEO Evaleen Mitei addresses the 49th Kenya Secondary School Heads Association Annual Conference in Mombasa on June 25, 2026. /TSC
The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has dismissed as fake a letter circulating on social media claiming that the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) had rejected proposed reforms to teachers' Career Progression Guidelines (CPG).
In a brief alert posted on its official X account, the commission shared the purported letter stamped with the word "FAKE" and cautioned the public against falling for the misinformation.
"Please be aware!!" TSC said in the post, without providing further details.
The forged document, dated July 6, 2026, was purportedly authored by SRC chairperson Sammy Chepkwony and addressed to TSC chairperson Jamleck Muturi under the subject: Review of the Proposed Career Progression Guidelines for Teachers.
It falsely claimed that SRC had reviewed TSC's proposed Career Progression Guidelines and concluded that implementing them in their current form would impose "substantial additional financial obligations" that were unsustainable within the prevailing fiscal framework.
The fake letter further purported that SRC had declined to approve the proposed guidelines, advised TSC to revise the proposals after taking into account concerns over affordability, sustainability, equity and available fiscal space, and directed that the existing Career Progression Guidelines remain in force until a revised proposal was submitted and approved.
It also falsely suggested that TSC had been instructed to prepare and submit a fresh proposal for SRC's consideration.
The claims come weeks after TSC and teachers' unions agreed on sweeping reforms to the Career Progression Guidelines aimed at accelerating promotions and addressing long-standing concerns over career stagnation.
The Career Progression Guidelines were first introduced by TSC around 2017 to replace the old schemes of service.
The framework shifted teacher promotions from a system largely based on academic qualifications to one that considers professional competencies, performance, experience and the availability of funded vacancies.
The reforms were intended to eliminate career stagnation by creating a structured promotion pathway while recognising classroom performance alongside professional development.
However, teachers and unions have for years criticised the framework, arguing that promotions remained slow and many teachers stayed in the same grades for prolonged periods despite meeting the required qualifications.
To address those concerns, TSC on June 18, signed revised Career Progression Guidelines agreements with the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT), the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) and the Kenya Union of Special Needs Education Teachers (Kusnet).
The revised framework seeks to streamline teacher grading by introducing automatic promotions within lower job groups and creating separate career pathways for classroom teachers and administrators.
Under the proposals, teachers will be able to progress to the highest classroom teaching grade, Teacher 1, in about 18 years instead of the current 30 years, without being required to leave classroom teaching for administrative positions.
"The review is anchored on the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) signed with teachers' unions last year, which identified the need to address the existing career framework in light of changes in the education sector, including curriculum reforms and emerging issues affecting teachers' welfare," Mitei said after the signing of the proposed reforms at TSC headquarters in Upper Hill.
The reforms mark the first phase of developing a new teacher promotion framework designed to provide faster and more predictable career progression across the profession.
As required by law, the proposals must be evaluated and approved by SRC to determine appropriate remuneration for the various teaching roles before implementation.
It is the outcome of such a review that the fake letter purported to communicate, falsely claiming that SRC had declined to approve the revised Career Progression Guidelines.
TSC's latest clarification means the SRC is yet to issue its official position on the proposed teacher promotion reforms, and the teacher employer has urged the public to disregard the forged document circulating online.
