Teachers Pin Hopes on Ruto as Kasarani Hosts World Teachers Day

Teachers Pin Hopes on Ruto as Kasarani Hosts World Teachers Day

NAIROBI, Monday, October 5, 2026. Thousands of teachers are streaming into Kasarani Gymnasium today for World Teachers Day 2026.

Many of them hope President William Ruto will arrive with a bag of goodies, or at least firm answers on pledges they say remain unfulfilled.

Ruto is the chief guest at the celebrations, held under the theme “Standing with teachers: 60 years of protecting the profession, advancing its status and shaping our futures.”

Also expected are Teachers Service Commission (TSC) Acting CEO Dr. Evaleen Mitei, Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba, and leaders of the main teachers’ unions and associations, including KUPPET, KNUT, KUSNET, KEPSHA and KESSHA.

For many in the stands, the day is a celebration of a profession turning sixty. For others, it is an opportunity. Ruto hosted teachers at State House in September last year and made a string of commitments.

A year on, teachers will be listening closely to the President’s address to see how much of that list he acknowledges and what he adds to it.

A record that is more than half full

Teachers’ unions and the government can both point to real delivery. The most visible is employment. The government has recruited more than 100,000 teachers, easing a staffing shortage that has strained classrooms, particularly in public secondary schools after the rollout of Junior Secondary School.

The President also kept his word on the education budget, which has been increased as promised. On promotions, Ruto doubled the allocation from Ksh 1 billion to Ksh 2 billion.

That enabled TSC to advertise 34,016 promotion vacancies, a figure teachers in stagnated job groups welcomed after years of waiting.

Medical cover is the more complicated entry on the scorecard. The government delivered an improved scheme, but teachers are divided on whether it beats the previous arrangement under AON Minet.

Some say the current cover is broader and easier to access. Others argue that the earlier scheme served them better in practice. How the President handles this question may reveal whether he intends to defend the current arrangement or open it up for review.

The pledges still pending

Where teachers’ patience is thinnest is on the commitments that remain outstanding. Several are expected to feature in the corridor talk at Kasarani, and in the remarks of union officials who speak before the President.

The CBA 2025-2029. Ruto had indicated that the Collective Bargaining Agreement would be shortened from four years to two. That did not happen. Instead, teachers received the second phase of the CBA in July 2026, in line with the original four-year structure.

The unions will likely want to know whether the shorter cycle is still on the table, and what comes next when the current phase runs its course.

Special Needs Education promotions. Teachers in Special Needs Education (SNE) were promised a promotion by one grade. They are still waiting.

For a group that works in some of the most demanding classrooms in the country, the delay is a sore point, and the matter is likely to be raised by union officials.

Affordable housing. The President signed a Memorandum of Understanding with teachers to allocate 20 per cent of Affordable Housing units to them.

Teachers say they are yet to see the promise materialise in a way they can point to. With many teachers living in rented housing far from their stations, the MOU carries weight beyond its paper value.

Retirement benefits. Ruto assured teachers that their retirement benefits would be processed and paid within a few days of leaving service. Retired teachers tell a different story, with some waiting months for their dues.

For people who have given decades to the classroom and now depend on a lump sum to settle into retirement, the wait is painful. This is one of the most emotional issues on the list, and it may draw the loudest reaction if the President addresses it directly.

Delocalisation. The President pledged to end delocalisation completely. Some teachers who were delocalised say they are finding it hard to secure transfers back home. They will be watching for a clear directive to TSC.

The big one: the Career Progression Guidelines

Of all the issues, the one expected to carry the most weight is the Career Progression Guidelines (CPG). Ruto promised to scrap the current CPG and replace it with better promotion guidelines. TSC has moved to make that happen.

The new CPG is currently with the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) for job evaluation. That step must be completed before the guidelines can receive final approval and teachers can begin to enjoy the new benefits.

If the President gives his approval and the final word at Kasarani, teachers will be assured of improved career progression guidelines from July 2027.

That makes today’s address potentially consequential. A clear signal from the head of state, even a timeline or a directive to speed up the SRC process, would give teachers something concrete to hold onto. A vague reference, by contrast, would likely leave many feeling that the reform remains in limbo.

A day of honour

Amid the policy questions, today is also a celebration. TSC will honour 309 teachers across eleven award categories, recognising educators who go beyond their routine duties.

The awards fall into four broad groups. The foundational and career impact awards include the Early Years Educator Award, the Early Career Educator Award and the Lifetime Achievement Award.

The innovation and specialised focus awards cover Innovation and ICT Integration in Teaching, the Sustainable Development Educator Award and the Inclusive Educator Award.

The leadership and welfare awards recognise School Leadership Excellence, the Teacher Mentor Award, the Child Protection Champion Award and the Most Resilient Teacher Award.

At the top sit the prestigious accolades: the National Honours Award and the International Recognition Award.

The national winners emerge from a wide base. At the sub-county level alone, 13,728 teachers received commendations, feeding into county and regional recognition before the national awards on October 5. For the teachers receiving them, the moment under the Kasarani lights is the culmination of a long climb.

What the programme tells us

The day begins early. Arrival, registration and breakfast started at 6:00 am, followed by entertainment from the TSC Choir and the Coast Teachers Choir.

Sponsors including Oxford University Press, KPSA, Imarisha SACCO, PSSF, KICD, Mwalimu SACCO, KEMI, NBK, CEMASTEA and the MPESA Foundation give remarks before the Chief Guest is expected at around 9:30 am.

After prayers led by Rev. Fr. Henry Mathangu and a sermon by Bishop Dr. Kepha Omae, the stage opens to the voices of the profession. Heads of schools’ associations, KEPSHA’s Fuad Ali and KESSHA’s Willie Kuria, speak first, followed by the union leaders: KUSNET’s James Torome, KUPPET’s Akello Misori and KNUT’s Collins Oyuu.

Each has only five minutes, but the programme gives them a platform immediately before the title sponsors, Co-operative Bank and KCB, and the government speakers.

The order matters. By the time TSC Chairman Dr. Jamleck Muturi and Dr. Mitei speak, followed by National Assembly Education Committee Chairman Julius Melly, Principal Secretary John Ololtuaa and CS Ogamba, the unions’ demands will already be on the table.

The President’s address, which comes after the Roll of Honour, will therefore land in a room that has just heard the profession’s priorities spelled out. The vote of thanks will be delivered by TSC Vice Chairperson Sharon Kisire.

What teachers want to hear

Ruto is an experienced reader of a room, and the gathering at Kasarani is one of the largest audiences of public servants he will address this year.

Teachers are a numerous constituency, and the commitments made at State House were made in public.

What teachers say they want is specific rather than sweeping. They want a timeline for the new CPG after the SRC job evaluation. They want a clear position on the CBA cycle.

They want a mechanism to clear delayed retirement benefits, a confirmed path for SNE promotions, movement on the 20 per cent housing allocation, and an assurance that delocalised teachers will be able to return home.

There is also the question of tone. Acknowledging what has been delivered, the 100,000 new teachers, the increased budget and the expanded promotion slots, is likely to be welcomed.

But teachers will also be listening for whether the President owns the gaps. A candid acknowledgement of delays, paired with dates, could earn more goodwill than a list of achievements.

A milestone with weight

This year’s World Teachers Day also marks sixty years since the profession’s protections were put in place, a milestone captured in the theme.

It adds symbolic weight to a day that is already politically charged. A profession that has fought for decades over pay, promotion and dignity now has the head of state in front of it, with the cameras on.

Whether Ruto arrives with a bag of goodies or a more measured message, the expectations are set. For teachers sitting at Kasarani, the promises made at State House last September are not history. They are a checklist, and today they will see how many more boxes the President is prepared to tick.

The President’s address is expected after the Roll of Honour, at the close of the official programme.