TSC vows fresh crackdown on rogue teachers amid CBE transition

By  Winnie Atieno

Correspondent

Nation Media Group

The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has served notice to rogue head teachers, declaring zero tolerance for professional misconduct, resource misappropriation, and child abuse that threatens to tarnish the dignity of the teaching fraternity.

Speaking during the official opening of the 2026 Kenya Comprehensive School Heads Association (KECSHA) Annual General Conference in Mombasa, TSC Chairperson Jamleck Muturi drew a sharp distinction between dedicated educators and the minority who compromise professional standards.

Delivering a firm policy stance on accountability, Dr Muturi emphasized that the greatest threat to the teaching profession's reputation originates from within rather than from external forces.

"Let me say, with respect but with firmness, that the greatest damage to the reputation of our profession does not come from outside. It comes from the few among us who betray trust," Dr Muturi stated before more than 15,000 head teachers meeting at the Sheikh Zayed hall in Mombasa.

The TSC chairperson said every misused resource, every abused learner, every falsified record injures the dignity of thousands of faithful colleagues.

He urged principals to foster safe school environments, handle minor disciplinary matters fairly and early, and build strong collaborative bridges with Boards of Management, parents, and local communities.

"Every misused resource, every abused learner, and every falsified record injures the dignity of thousands of faithful colleagues. There is no excuse, no justification, and no explanation for abuse of a child by anyone entrusted with their care."

While underscoring that the Commission is committed to handling all disciplinary cases with fairness and strict adherence to due process, Dr Muturi stressed that prevention through proactive, robust leadership at the school level remains the primary line of defense.

The TSC leadership emphasised that school heads bear an essential supervisory duty to cultivate safe, transparent environments where child protection is uncompromising and institutional resources are scrupulously managed.

The Commission has maintained that while it continues to champion teacher welfare, career progression, and improved terms of service, accountability and professional ethics will remain non-negotiable pillars of Kenya's educational landscape.

Dr Muturi acknowledged concerns about workload, infrastructure, the pace of curriculum change, promotion and stagnation, the teacher who has served for many years without recognition and feels forgotten.

The chairperson said despite the challenges, the heads of institution continue to deliver the curriculum.

“In classrooms, under trees, in overcrowded classrooms, in schools far from tarmac, Kenyan teachers show up. That is not a small thing. That is heroism of patriotic professionals,” he added.

"No longer an experiment" 

Dr Muturi said Kenya at a moment of deep transition adding that the Competency-Based Education is no longer an experiment; it is the national curriculum.

“Our learners are moving through Junior School and into Senior School. Your schools, the Comprehensive Schools, sit at the very epicenter of this transformation. You host multiple levels under one gate. You manage learners of different ages, teachers of different training backgrounds, and different expectations from parents, all at once. You are not running schools of the past. You are running laboratories of the future of Kenyan education,” he said.

Dr Muturi challenged school administrators to anchor their leadership on integrity, mentorship, and professional excellence as Kenya navigates sweeping curriculum reforms under the Competency-Based Education (CBE) framework.

Dr Muturi underscored that school leadership remains the single most powerful influence on learning outcomes after classroom teaching itself.

The TSC chairperson emphasized that comprehensive schools sit at the epicenter of national educational transformation by hosting multiple learner levels under one roof.

"When I look at this hall, I do not just see Principals of comprehensive schools. I see the people who open the school gates before daybreak and carry the hopes of parents and the dreams of children. You are not running schools of the past. You are running laboratories of the future of Kenyan education," Dr Muturi told the delegates.

Dr Muturi addressed ongoing structural transitions within the teaching service, highlighting that TSC is actively responding to stakeholder feedback regarding workload, career progression and professional development.

Key milestones outlined by the TSC chairperson include, Career Progression Guidelines, Teacher Professional Development (TPD) and Teacher Mobility Policy.

Dr Muturi said the implementation of revised guidelines signed in June, which allow classroom practitioners to rise through professional ranks up to the equivalent of a chief principal without being forced into administrative roles.

“A refined, accessible continuous learning model designed to keep educators updated on digital literacy, inclusive education, and modern pedagogy without serving as a barrier. A newly developed framework ensuring that Kenyan educators seeking opportunities abroad do so within a structured, safe, and professional system that protects their credentials and the nation's integrity,” said Dr Muturi.

Dr Muturi a nation cannot rise higher than the quality of its teachers, and a teacher cannot rise higher than the quality of the leadership, the support, and the professional standards around them.

The chairperson urged the educators to strengthen the teaching profession, leadership, professionalism and quality education.