TSC to Reward Teachers for Transparency and Ethical Leadership

Financial Discipline and Academic Excellence: The New Criteria for TSC’s Wajibika Award

NAIROBI, Kenya — The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has launched a high-stakes search for the country’s most upright and high-performing educators to be considered for the prestigious Wajibika Award.

In a circular dated May 4, 2026, TSC Acting CEO Eveleen Mitei directed Regional Directors to begin the urgent process of nominating teachers, school administrators, and learning institutions that embody the values of transparency, integrity, and accountability.

The Wajibika Award is an initiative of the Public Service Commission (PSC) designed to reward those who demonstrate outstanding commitment to ethical service delivery while simultaneously enhancing learning outcomes in Kenyan schools.

The “95% Club”: Shortlisting the Best Teachers

The TSC has set an exceptionally high threshold for teacher nominations. According to the Commission, prospective nominees must have attained a TPAD (Teacher Prerformance Appraisal and Development) score of 95% and above for six consecutive terms, spanning from Term 2, 2024, to Term 1, 2026.

In a move that links character with classroom results, the identified teachers—totaling 300 per county (split equally between primary and secondary levels)—must now prove their academic impact.

These teachers are required to submit their KCSE or KCPE mean scores for their best-performing subject over a three-year period (2023, 2024, and 2025).

Financial Integrity: A New Metric for School Heads

For Heads of Institutions (HOIs), the criteria go beyond the classroom and into the account books.

To be nominated for the Wajibika Award, school heads must:

• Maintain a performance evaluation score of 90% or higher for three consecutive years.
• Demonstrate fiscal discipline by keeping pending bills below 5% over the same period.

Each Regional Director is tasked with submitting the names of four exemplary heads (two from primary and two from secondary schools) who meet these rigorous standards of financial and administrative accountability.

Institutional Excellence

The award also seeks to recognize schools as a whole. One primary and one secondary school per region will be nominated based on their ability to prove:

1. Structured Accountability: Visible measures that promote transparency.
2. Resource Management: Effective use of school funds and facilities.
3. Curriculum Planning: High levels of teacher engagement and continuous assessment.
4. Learner Welfare: A strong focus on the safety and well-being of students.

The Race Against Time

The Commission has emphasized the urgency of this exercise. Regional Directors have been given a strict deadline of 4:00 p.m. today, Friday, May 8, 2026, to submit all performance data and nominee questionnaires through official digital links.

This initiative is seen as a major step toward professionalizing the teaching service, moving away from simple years-of-service promotions to a merit-based system that rewards both academic results and ethical leadership.

For the hundreds of teachers currently submitting their data, the Wajibika Award represents more than just a trophy—it is a formal validation of their role as the moral and academic backbone of the nation.

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Do you think the 95% TPAD score is a fair measure of a teacher’s excellence, or should more weight be placed on the school’s local environment?